9 


s 


\CV 


LIBRARY  CF  PR  NCETON 



NOV    1  1    1999 

THE 

•OLOGICAL  S^MIN; 

IRY 

BV  4637  .F28  1915 

Far is,  John  Thomson,  ib/i- 

The  book  of  faith  in  God 


■^ 


•'./(' 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 


THE  BOOK 
OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 


BY 


JOHN  T.  PARIS,  D.D. 

AUTHOR  or  "the  BOOK  OF  GOd's  PROVIDENCE,"  "  THE  BOOK  OF 
ANSWERED  PRAYER,'*  ETC. 


LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 


NOV    11    1999 


THEOLOGICAL  SENMNARY 


HODDER  &  STOUGHTON 
LONDON    :  :   :  :  :   MCMXV 


Copyright,  1915 
BY  GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


TO  MY  MOTHER 


FOREWORD 

"  The  Book  of  Faith  in  God  "  is  a  narrative  of 
incidents  in  the  lives  of  some  of  those  whom  God  has 
taught  to  confide  in  him ;  who  learned  to  be  calm  and 
serene  in  circumstances  that  bring  many  people  to  the 
verge  of  panic;  who  knew  that  they  were  in  God's 
hands,  and  so  could  say  with  gladness,  "  Thy  will  be 
done  " ;  who,  by  constant  effort  to  do  their  best  while 
they  waited  for  the  revelation  of  God's  will,  proved 
that  theirs  was  a  living  faith;  who  found  their  great- 
est joy  in  abiding  in  the  presence  of  him  who  honors 
the  faith  of  those  who  wait  for  him. 

John  T.  Faris. 

Philadelphia, 
April,  1915. 


"  For  this  God  is  our  God  for  ever  and  ever : 
He  will  be  our  guide  even  unto  death." 

Ps.  48 :  14. 

"O  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord  is  good." 

Ps.  34:8. 

"Nowabideth  faith.  ..." 

I  CoR.  13 :  13- 

.   .  Above  all,  taking  the  shield  of  faith.  ..." 

Eph.  6 :  16. 

.  Draw  near  ...  in  full  assurance  of  faith  ..." 

Heb.  10 :  22. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

ONE:   IN  THE  HANDS  OF  GOD. 

I.  The  Unchanging  God 15 

n.  The  Divine  Pursuit 19 

HI.  Confident  Waiting  for  God 23 

IV.  The  Faith  That  Pleases  God 28 

V.  The  Reward  of  the  Man  Who  Trusts 31 

TWO:    THE  REALITY  OF  GOD'S  GUIDANCE. 

VI.  Following    God's    Leading y] 

VII.  When  God  Is  Guide 40 

VIIL  Does  God  Guide  To-day? 44 

IX.  Before  and  After 46 

X.  Links  in  the  Chain 49 

THREE:    FIRST  LESSONS. 

XL  When  Danger  Threatened  Her  Child 61 

XIL  Belief  That   Counts 63 

XIII.  The  Secret  of  Serenity 65 

XIV.  From  Mohammed  to  Christ 68 

XV.  In  School  with  Christ 75 

FOUR:    THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  FAITH. 

XVI.  In  Time  of  Doubt 87 

XVII.  They  Caught  the   Ship 93 

XVIII.  Moving  Mountains  in  Japan 95 

XIX.  A  Life  of  Trust  in  the  Desert 102 

9 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

FIVE:   ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

XX.  In  God's  Strength in 

XXI.  "Lacked  Ye  Anything?  " 113 

XXII.  Keep  on  Praying 122 

XXIII.  Trusting  God  for  Daily  Needs 125 


SIX :   THE  CALL  AND  THE  RESPONSE. 

XXIV.  When  God  Speaks  to  Us 137 

XXV.  The  Assurance  of  Things  Hoped  For 141 

XXVI.  Obedience  and  Blessing 144 

XXVII.  The  Bible  a  Personal  Message 147 

XXVIII.  Living  on  God's  Word 150 

SEVEN:  AS  LITTLE  CHILDREN. 

XXIX.  Why  She  Was  Not  Afraid 157 

XXX.  A  Boy's  Lesson 159 

XXXI.  Their  Simple  Faith 161 

XXXII.  Four  Christians  Who  Prayed 167 

XXXIII.  A  Thankful  Woman 170 

EIGHT:   IN  GOD'S  KEEPING. 

XXXIV.  The  Good  Hand  of  Our  God 175 

XXXV.  God  in  Our  Everyday  Life 179 

XXXVI.  God  Knows 182 

XXXVII.  In  Unexpected  Ways 184 

XXXVIII.  The  Sleepless  Watcher 189 

NINE:   IN  TIME  OF  TRIAL. 

XXXIX.  Faith  and  Means 193 

XL.  Proving  Their  Faith 196 

XLI.  When  Gates  Were  Closed 200 

XLII.  Alone,  Yet  Not  Alone 207 

10 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

TEN :    EVERYDAY  HEROES  OF  FAITH. 

XLIII.  The  Secret  of  Youth 217 

XLIV.  The  Faith  of  Four  Converts 220 

XLV.  A  Picture  Gallery  of  Heroes 226 

XLVI,  Missionaries    and    Money-Makers 230 

XLVn.  Taking  the  Long  Look 235 

ELEVEN:   SERVING  IN  FAITH. 

XLVIII.  She  Would  Not  Deny  Her  Lord 243 

XLIX.  The  Proof  of  Their  Faith 246 

L.  Fourteen  Faithful   Years 250 

LI.  The  Faith  of  a  Worker 257 

TWELVE :    IN  LIFE  AND  IN  DEATH. 

LII.  A  Finished  Transaction 265 

LIII.  Looking  Death  in  the  Face 269 

LIV.  Of  One  Blood 273 

LV.  Fret  Not 277 

LVI.  The  Faith  of  a  Leper 281 

LVII.  "The  Lord  Is  My  Shepherd" 288 

Index  of  Texts  Cited  or  Illustrated 293 


II 


ONE 
IN  THE  HANDS  OF  GOD 


13 


The  way  is  dark,  my  Father!     Cloud  on  cloud 
Is  gathering  thickly  o'er  my  head,  and  loud 
The  thunder  roars  above  me.     See,  I  stand 
Like  one  bewildered!     Father,  take  my  hand, 

And   through  the  gloom 

Lead   safely  home 
Thy  child." 


"  O  God  of  Calvary :  O  Lord  divine ! 

Hold   me  and  I  am  held!     I  cannot  slide 

When  pressing  closely  to  thy  bleeding  side, 
Though  men  and  devils  'gainst  my  soul  combine! 

Nor  shall  I  wander  far,  if  in  the  veil 
Of  Jesus'  flesh,  my  anchor  has  been  cast; 

But  I  shall  hear  the  welcome  plaudit,  '  Hail, 
Beloved,  enter  into  rest!'  at  last." 


14 


THE  UNCHANGING  GOD 

A  POET  of  Israel  who  was  grieving  for  the  down- 
fall of  Jerusalem  and  for  the  lowly  condition  of 
himself  and  his  countrymen  at  length  turned  his 
thoughts  to  God  and  cried  to  him.  In  him  he  found 
something  sure,  a  rock  on  which  he  could  rest.  "  I 
have  been  unhappy,  because  of  these  things,"  was  his 
cry,  "but  thou  art  the  same;  these  outward  things 
have  changed,  but  thou  canst  not  change." 

He  was  right.  God  changes  not;  he  is  ever  the 
same.  In  the  midst  of  all  our  griefs  and  our  tears 
because  of  changes  and  disappointments,  vexations  and 
griefs,  we  can  turn  to  God.  For  he  is  the  "  I  am," 
who  revealed  himself  to  Moses.  When  he  spoke  of 
himself  in  this  way  he  did  not  say  what  he  would  be 
some  day;  he  said,  ''  I  am."  And  the  great  I  Am,  the 
unchanging  God,  is  our  refuge,  our  present  help  in  time 
of  trouble.  *'  Therefore  will  not  we  fear,  though  the 
earth  be  removed,  and  though  the  mountains  be  carried 
into  the  midst  of  the  sea;  though  the  waters  thereof 
roar  and  be  troubled ;  though  the  mountains  shake  with 
the  swelling  thereof." 

We  ought  to  stop  and  think  often  just  how  much 
the  unchangeableness  of  God  means  to  us. 

It  tells  us  what  is  his  attitude  to  us.  *'  God  so  loved 
the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son."     He 

IS 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

loved  the  world  then,  and  he  loves  the  world  now.  God 
is  love.  He  is  no  Jekyll  and  Hyde,  sometimes  benevo- 
lent, at  other  times  malevolent.  But  always  he  is  our 
physician  in  time  of  moral  sickness,  our  friend  in 
hours  of  sorrow  as  in  hours  of  joy,  our  Father  when, 
as  children,  we  feel  the  need  of  him. 

When  we  read  how  Christ  walked  the  earth  and 
healed  the  sick,  sought  the  poor  and  cheered  their 
hearts,  and  talked  to  men  of  the  love  of  the  Father,  it 
is  not  enough  to  know  that  all  this  happened  nineteen 
hundred  years  ago ;  we  long  for  his  presence  now.  We 
forget  that  he  is  still  at  work.  True,  he  walks  no 
more  in  the  world,  he  talks  no  more  with  the  passers-by 
on  the  streets,  but  he  talks  to  them  and  he  talks  to 
us  by  his  Holy  Spirit.  And  as  he  talks  to  us  by  his 
Spirit,  he  tells  us  that  his  deeds  of  healing,  his  words 
of  love,  his  assurances  of  the  Father's  care,  were  only 
that  men  might  know  that  God  is  at  all  times  Physician 
and  Friend  and  Father. 

Since  God  is  unchangeable,  his  promises  are  sure. 
He  performs  them  every  one.  They  are  not  outlawed 
by  the  lapse  of  time.  God  who  made  them  sits  in 
unchanging  love  and  longing  for  his  people.  So  we 
have  no  need  to  worry,  as  we  do  so  often;  no  need  to 
take  the  promises  with  a  great  deal  of  allowance.  We 
are  to  plant  our  feet  firmly  upon  them  and  we  shall  be 
safe. 

How  often  we  look  at  one  of  God's  promises  doubt- 
ingly,  claim  it  very  hesitatingly,  get  down  as  it  were 
on  hands  and  knees  for  fear  it  will  fail  us,  when  all 
the  time  that  promise  is  as  strong  as  the  omnipotent 
God  who  made  it  and  makes  it  to-day,  as  unchangeable 

i6 


THE  UNCHANGING  GOD 

as  the  Eternal  who  assures  us,  ''  Even  to  old  age  I  am 
he,  and  even  to  hoar  hairs  will  I  carry  you:  I  have 
made,  and  I  will  bear:  yea,  I  will  carry  and  I  will 
deliver." 

Then  the  thought  of  the  unchangeableness  of  God 
is  our  encouragement  to  prayer,  and  constant  prayer. 
We  can  go  to  God  at  all  times,  sure  of  a  favorable 
reception  at  his  hands.  There  is  no  need  to  wait  for 
a  favorable  moment,  as  Esther  was  compelled  to  wait 
when  she  wished  to  go  to  her  king.  Her  earthly  lord 
was  a  creature  like  ourselves,  subject  to  moods  and 
tempers  and  fits  of  the  blues,  and  she  wished  to  remain 
away  from  him  until  she  realized  that  he  was  having 
one  of  his  good  days.  Frequently  we  find  it  advisable 
to  observe  the  same  precaution  in  our  dealings  with 
men.  We  have  a  favor  to  ask,  but  we  do  not  ask  it 
until  we  have  tested  our  friend  by  a  few  moments  of 
casual  conversation ;  we  want  to  know  how  he  is  feel- 
ing. Perhaps  we  have  a  business  proposition  to  make, 
but  we  may  have  to  postpone  our  work  for  days,  while 
we  wait  for  a  favorable  opportunity.  We  learn  to  be 
wise  as  serpents  in  our  dealings  with  men,  because  they 
are  as  changeable  as  ourselves. 

There  is  no  need  to  wait  for  the  sign  that  God  is 
ready  for  us.  It  is  only  a  fable  which  tells  that  the 
invalids  of  Jerusalem  could  not  hope  for  relief  in  the 
pool  of  Bethesda  until  the  moment  it  was  troubled  by 
an  angel  from  heaven;  it  was  only  a  man  who  held 
out  the  scepter  to  his  queen  in  token  that  he  would 
grant  her  petition  instead  of  ordering  her  death.  But 
it  is  the  true  God  who  calls  us  to  him  at  all  times. 
When  we  go  to  him  in  prayer  of  petition,  we  do  not 

17 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

need  continually  to  draw  back,  with  the  thought  that 
we  had  better  wait  until  another  day ;  we  have  already 
asked  as  much  as  we  think  he  will  feel  like  giving  us 
to-day !  We  cannot  ask  too  much  of  him  whom  giving 
doth  not  impoverish  nor  withholding  enrich.  We 
cannot  approach  too  often  to  him  who  said,  "  For  I, 
Jehovah,  change  not." 

To  him  we  must  cling  in  the  midst  of  the  changes 
and  the  disappointments,  the  griefs  and  the  losses  of 
life,  as  well  as  in  the  times  of  joy  and  gladness.  For 
those  who  cling  to  God  cannot  be  overwhelmed.  They 
shall  be  safe.  To  him  they  can  always  pray,  in  faith 
and  trust: 


O  Thou  who  changest  not, 
Abide  with  me." 


And  he  will  hear  the  prayer  and  give  his  wonderful 
answer. 


i8 


II 

THE  DIVINE  PURSUIT 

TXrE  have  heard  so  much  of  the  sufferings,  of  men 
^  ^  who  are  pursued  by  misfortune  of  some  kind 
that  the  word  pursuit  has  come  to  have  a  most  un- 
pleasant sound  in  our  ears. 

It  is  a  common  thing  to  hear  a  man  say,  "  I  am  pur- 
sued by  bad  luck.  Nothing  I  do  turns  out  well.  Every- 
thing I  touch  is  blasted." 

It  is  human  nature  to  think  that  it  is  only  by  the 
utmost  good  fortune  men  can  escape  the  sorrows 
which  are  all  about  them;  that  misfortune  is  the  only 
thing  to  be  had  without  a  struggle;  that  the  pleasant 
things  of  life  must  be  striven  for  with  might  and  main, 
and  only  secured,  if  at  all,  from  the  grasping  hand 
of  an  unwilling  fate. 

This  idea  that  sorrow  is  pursuing  men  while  they  are 
continually  in  pursuit  of  blessing  has  left  its  impress 
on  literature.  Greek  philosophers  agreed  that  happi- 
ness must  be  pursued  by  man  if  he  would  obtain  it. 
The  fathers  of  the  United  States  put  in  words  the 
same  idea  when  they  said  that  the  inalienable  rights 
of  men  are  *'  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happi- 
ness." 

But  long  before  the  time  of  the  signers  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  or  the  days  of  the  an- 
cient Greeks,  King  David  of  Israel  gave  expression  to 

19 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

exactly  the  contrary  feeling.  He  did  not  say  that  man 
is  pursued  by  evil,  while  happiness  eludes  him,  but 
that  happiness  is  pursuing  man :  "  Surely  goodness  and 
mercy  shall  follow  me,"  he  wrote,  or,  as  a  more  exact 
translation  gives  the  thought,  **  Only  goodness  and 
mercy  shall  pursue  me."  So  his  idea  was  that 
man  is  pursued  by  goodness  and  mercy,  and  by  these 
only. 

Then  where  does  evil  come  in?  The  inference  is 
unavoidable.  If  evil  is  not  pursuing  men,  then  men  are 
pursuing  evil,  laying  hold  upon  it,  throwing  themselves 
ever  in  the  way  of  misfortune  and  trouble  and 
anxiety. 

What  a  reversal  of  all  our  conceptions  of  life! 
Goodness  and  mercy  pursuing  us,  while  we  are  doing 
all  we  can  to  escape  them,  while  we  run  after  sin  and 
misery ! 

Of  course  all  men  realize  that  God  is  in  pursuit  of 
them.  But  so  many  fail  to  realize  that  by  giving  them- 
selves unreservedly  into  his  hands  they  insure  for  them- 
selves blessing,  their  capture  by  goodness  and  mercy. 
Why  do  they  persist  in  the  idea  that  when  God  pur- 
sues them  it  is  with  a  flaming  sword  in  his  hand,  that 
there  is  safety  only  in  flight,  and  that  he  follows  them, 
turning  when  they  turn,  always  at  their  heels,  seeking 
to  overthrow  them? 

God  is  pursuing  men  continually,  but  he  is  seeking  to 
help  them  and  make  their  lives  a  blessing.  He  is  seek- 
ing to  touch  them,  in  order  that  he  may  impart  to  them 
the  riches  of  his  love.  How  the  fugitives  misunder- 
stand him!  There  is  no  flaming  sword  in  his  hand. 
Goodness  is  there,  and  mercy.    If  only  they  would  per- 

20 


THE  DIVINE  PURSUIT 

mit  God  to  lay  his  hands  upon  them!  But  no!  On 
they  go,  congratulating  themselves  on  their  ability  to 
elude  him. 

Some  there  are  who  go  through  life  thus,  continually 
striving  to  elude  God's  blessing.  To  the  portal  of  the 
tomb  they  go.  Not  once  has  God  been  permitted  to 
bless  them  as  he  wishes.  "Hands  off!"  they  cry, 
and  God  has  kept  his  hands  off. 

They  have  escaped  him  through  life,  if  it  can  be 
called  an  escape  to  slip  from  the  grasp  of  goodness  and 
mercy,  only  at  the  end  to  come  into  the  hands  of  a 
God  who  is  then  all  justice,  bearing  indeed  a  sword  of 
flaming  fire.  They  have  escaped  from  love,  only  to  be 
captives  forever  in  the  chains  of  sin. 

But  the  result  of  men's  blindness  is  not  always  so 
sad.  When  man  permits  the  hand  of  the  pursuing  God 
to  touch  him,  how  life  brightens!  Then  indeed  the 
goodness  and  mercy  which  have  been  following  him 
are  understood.  After  long  periods  of  running  from 
God's  goodness,  men  do  sometimes  permit  God  to 
reach  them  with  blessing,  and  then  they  have  the 
Psalmist's  vision  of  joy. 

That  vision  of  God's  pursuing,  beneficent  provi- 
dence enabled  William  McKinley,  in  the  midst  of  suf- 
fering, in  the  hour  of  death,  to  murmur,  "  Nearer,  my 
God,  to  thee." 

It  was  that  vision  which  enabled  Garfield,  on  the  day 
after  Lincoln's  assassination,  to  quiet  the  frenzied 
mob  on  Wall  Street  by  shouting  so  that  all  could  hear, 
"  Fellow-countrymen,  God  reigns  and  the  government 
at  Washington  still  lives." 

It  is  the  same  vision  which  leads  God's  people  to- 
21 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

day  to  say,  whatever  the  difficulty  or  the  danger  to 
which  they  are  exposed : 

''  Why  art  thou  cast  down,  O  my  soul,  and  why  art 
thou  disquieted  within  me  ?  "  ''  Hope  thou  in  God," 
for  *'  only  goodness  and  mercy  shall  pursue  me  all  the 
days  of  my  life." 


22 


Ill 

CONFIDENT  WAITING  FOR  GOD 

TN  the  course  of  God's  loving  dealings  with  us,  there 
-^  come  times  when,  in  order  to  give  the  joys  he  has 
prepared  for  us,  he  must  lead  us  through  experiences 
that  seem  trials. 

Surely  we  can  bear  these  trials  for  the  sake  of  what 
we  know  is  coming  to  us!  Surely  we  can  be  content 
to  wait  in  confident  trust  for  the  revelation  of  God's 
purpose ! 

But  no!  So  often,  in  the  moment  of  temporary 
trial  and  loss,  we  suffer  our  thoughts  to  turn  away 
from  God  and  rest  upon  the  trials,  upon  self.  Then  the 
bitterness  of  our  lot  almost  overwhelms  us.  We  cry 
out  that  God  has  forgotten  us;  that  the  Saviour  has 
left  our  side  for  the  time;  therefore  these  evils  have 
come  upon  us. 

But  he  has  not  gone.  He  is  with  us  all  the  time. 
He  hears  our  reproaches  and  complainings,  and  his 
heart  is  filled  with  sorrow,  sorrow  like  that  which 
came  to  him  on  the  day  when  it  was  written  of  him, 
'*  Jesus  wept."  Sorrow,  for  we  had  promised  to  trust 
him! 

A  humble  follower  of  the  Master  who  suffered  great 
anguish  during  a  long  illness  was  once  asked  how  she 
endured  such  suffering.  She  replied,  "  They  who  look 
upon  God's  face  never  feel  his  hand." 

23 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

One  trouble  is  that  we  look  away  from  God's  face. 
We  fail  to  see  the  love  there  which  would  inspire  our 
trust,  and  we  think  only  of  the  hardness  of  our  pres- 
ent lot. 

It  is  as  though  the  gold-seeker,  traveling  to  the 
bonanza  field  of  which  he  has  heard  brilliant  tales, 
should  become  discouraged  because  of  the  hardships 
of  the  way.  Only  those  whose  minds  are  steadfastly 
fastened  on  the  gold  which  they  fondly  hope  will 
reward  their  efforts  can  calmly  bear  the  sufferings  of 
the  journey,  and  can  win  through  to  the  goal. 

The  seeker  after  gold  is  sustained  in  difficulty  by  a 
hope  which  ever  eludes  him :  it  is  not  one  such  adven- 
turer in  a  hundred  who  is  sucessful.  But  we  who  are 
Christians  have  set  before  us  a  reward  that  cannot 
escape  our  grasp;  we  are  certain  to  secure  it  if  we  hold 
to  the  quest  through  all  the  trials  and  difficulties  of  the 
way.  Why,  then,  can  we  not  be  as  patient  and  confident 
as  one  whose  hope  is  so  often  doomed  to  disappoint- 
ment ?  God  has  said  that  all  things  work  together  for 
good  to  them  that  love  him.  Knowing  this,  why  can- 
not we  leave  in  his  hands  these  passing  troubles  which 
worry  us,  looking  ahead  to  the  promised  good  as  the 
traveler  over  a  mountain  range  submits  without  a 
thought  to  the  darkness  and  unpleasantness  of  the 
miles  of  snowsheds,  because  he  knows  that  by  means 
of  these  he  will  be  enabled  to  pass  the  otherwise  im- 
passable barriers  of  snow?  When  the  traveler  reaches 
the  summit,  comes  out  into  the  air,  and  beholds  the 
wonderful  panorama  of  white-clad  mountain  peaks 
reaching  into  the  clear  blue  of  heaven,  his  confidence 
is  justified;  any  passing  discomfort  of  the  journey  is 

24 


CONFIDENT  WAITING  FOR  GOD 

forgotten.  So  if  we  resolutely  put  aside  the  temptation 
to  repine  at  sickness  and  losses,  at  misconceptions  of 
our  actions  by  our  friends,  the  temporary  closing  in 
our  faces  of  doors  to  usefulness,  and  all  the  things  we 
cannot  understand,  we  shall  be  ready  always  by  reason 
of  our  complete  trust  in  God  to  enter  into  the  glory  he 
is  preparing  for  us  by  means  of  these  very  trials. 

We  need  the  trust  of  Job  to  say,  ''  Though  he  slay 
me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him."  We  need  trust  in  God  like 
that  which  Sir  Wemyss  Reid,  in  his  biography  of 
Lyon  Playfair,  says  Prince  Albert  of  England  had  in 
the  scientist,  as  shown  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit  to  the 
scientist's  laboratory.  ''  The  prince  and  Playfair  were 
standing  near  a  caldron  containing  lead,  which  was 
boiling  at  white  heat.  '  Has  your  royal  highness  any 
faith  in  science? '  asked  Playfair.  '  Certainly,'  replied 
the  prince.  Playfair  then  washed  the  prince's  hand 
with  ammonia  to  get  rid  of  any  grease  that  might  be 
on  it.  '  Will  you  now  place  your  hand  in  this  boiling 
metal  and  ladle  out  a  portion  of  it?  '  he  said  to  his  dis- 
tinguished pupil.  '  Do  you  tell  me  to  do  this?  '  asked 
the  prince.  '  I  do,'  replied  Playfair.  The  prince  in- 
stantly put  his  hand  into  the  caldron,  and  ladled  out 
some  of  the  boiling  lead  without  sustaining  any  in- 
jury." 

Should  a  man  show  more  confidence  in  a  human 
friend  than  in  God?  Yet  we  do  precisely  this,  so  often, 
in  spite  of  all  our  declaration  of  undying  trust  in  the 
love  of  God. 

We  need  to  learn  that  God  is  mighty,  and  that  his 
might  is  for  us;  that  God  is  love,  and  that  his  love  is 
for  us;  that  God  knows  the  future,  and  that  he  has 

25 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

planned  for  us;  that  others  may  seek  to  harm  us,  but 
that  God  will  hinder  their  plans ;  that  when  trials  come 
to  us  in  our  service  of  God  there  will  be  greater  joy 
and  happiness  at  some  time  in  the  future  than  ever  we 
could  have  known  without  these  afflictions. 

God's  plan  for  us  is  being  fulfilled;  his  purposes 
for  us  are  being  carried  out,  certainly  and  surely,  and 
no  one  can  hinder  them,  except  as  we  ourselves  step  in 
the  way  and  will  not  permit  the  working  out  of  God's 
good  pleasure  for  us. 

When  we  clear  the  way  of  petty  prejudice  and  mis- 
trust, the  good  pleasure  of  God  will  be  brought  to 
pass.  For  ''  our  present  light  affliction,  which  is  but 
for  a  moment,  worketh  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding 
and  eternal  weight  of  glory." 

Therefore,  *' trust  ye  in  Jehovah  forever,  for  in 
Jehovah  is  an  everlasting  rock."  Remember  that  you 
are  God's  man,  and  say,  with  John  Burroughs : 

Serene,  I  fold  my  hands  and  wait, 

Nor  care  for  wind,  or  tide,  or  sea; 
I  rave  no  more  'gainst  time  or  fate, 

For  lo!  my  own  shall  come  to  me. 

I  stay  my  haste,  I  make  delays, 

For  what  avails  this  eager  pace? 
I  stand  amid  th'  eternal  ways. 

And  what  is  mine  shall  know  my  face. 


Asleep,  awake,  by  night  or  day. 
The  friends  I  seek  are  seeking  me; 

No  wind  can  drive  my  bark  astray, 
Nor  change  the  tide  of  destiny. 

What  matter  if  I   stand  alone? 

I  wait  with  joy  the  coming  years; 
My  heart  shall  reap  where  it  has  sown, 

And  garner  up  the  fruit  of  tears. 

26 


CONFIDENT  WAITING  FOR  GOD 

The  waters  know  their  own  and  draw 
The   brook   that   springs   in   3'onder  heights; 

So  flows  the  good  with  equal  law 
Unto  the  soul  of  pure  delights. 

The  stars  come  nightly  to  the  sky, 
The  tidal  wave  comes  to  the  sea; 

Nor  time,  nor  space,  nor  deep,  nor  high, 
Can  keep  my  own  away  from  me. 


27 


IV 

THE  FAITH  THAT  PLEASES  GOD 

'T^HERE  are  degrees  of  faith.  There  is  the  faith 
-■-  of  him  who  beheves  in  Christ  just  enough  to 
throw  himself  on  Christ  for  salvation.  But  he  knows 
so  little  of  the  Master;  he  has  not  had  time  to  learn. 
Yet  Christ  receives  him,  for  he  will  not  break  the 
bruised  reed  nor  quench  the  smoking  flax.  Christ 
bears  with  him,  even  when  he  shows  that  he  is  satis- 
fied with  bearing  the  name  of  Christian,  with  having 
entered  the  outer  sanctuary  of  God's  heart,  where  he  is 
content  to  stay. 

Then  there  is  the  faith  of  him  who  is  never  satis- 
fied with  what  he  knows,  but  is  ever  longing  for  more 
light,  more  revelation,  further  progress  in  the  mys- 
teries of  the  Christian  life. 

Both  men  have  saving  faith.  But  what  a  difference 
there  is  in  their  lives!  A  seventeenth-century  writer 
has  compared  the  faith  of  the  man  who  is  content  with 
little  to  the  voyage  of  a  leaky,  unseaworthy  vessel. 
Buffeted  by  storms,  its  captain  and  crew  have  a  hard 
time  to  keep  afloat;  but  it  reaches  port  at  last.  But 
the  Christian  whose  faith  is  ever  increasing  is  like 
the  stanch  and  steady  vessel  which,  though  encounter- 
ing the  same  storms,  is  able  to  ride  them  safely  and 
securely,  at  cost  of  little  vexation  and  delay,  until  it 

28 


THE  FAITH  THAT  PLEASES  GOD 

comes  into  the  harbor  with  every  sail  set  to  the  favor- 
ing wind. 

A  Httle  faith  is  far  better  than  none,  but  a  growing 
faith  is  a  necessity  for  the  comfort  of  the  Christian, 
and  it  is  a  necessity  if  we  would  please  God.  God 
is  always  pleased  when  he  sees  faith,  but  how  much 
greater  is  his  pleasure  when  he  sees  great  faith! 

When  Peter  started  to  walk  to  Christ  upon  the 
water,  and  began  to  sink,  Christ  called  to  him  yearn- 
ingly, "  O  thou  of  little  faith,  wherefore  didst  thou 
doubt?"  When  the  disciples  sought  to  heal  the 
demoniac  boy,  but  could  not  for  lack  of  faith,  the  Mas- 
ter looked  lovingly  and  reprovingly  upon  them  and 
exclaimed,  ''  O  faithless  generation,  how  long  shall  I 
be  with  you  ?  " 

Thus  two  of  Christ's  infrequent  reproofs  to  his  dis- 
ciples were  called  forth  by  little  faith.  It  was  natural, 
then,  that  one  of  the  very  few  occasions  when  he  mar- 
veled was  when  strong  faith  was  disclosed  in  an  unex- 
pected quarter.  A  centurion  wished  him  to  heal  his 
servant.  But  he  felt  unworthy  that  Christ  should 
come  under  his  roof,  and  he  entreated  him :  "  Speak 
the  word  only,  and  my  servant  shall  live."  And  Christ 
was  pleased,  for  he  said,  ''  I  have  not  found  such  faith, 
no,  not  in  Israel." 

Christ  was  always  pleased  when  he  saw  great  faith, 
and  when  he  saw  desire  for  more  faith.  Surely  he  was 
gratified  when  the  blind  man  cried :  **  Lord,  I  believe ; 
help  thou  mine  unbelief."  And  when  the  disciples 
prayed,  ''  Increase  our  faith,"  he  proceeded  at  once  to 
show  them  what  great  things  faith  could  accomplish. 

God  is  pleased  with  a  little  faith.  But  it  is  worthy 
29 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

of  notice  and  reflection  that  those  whose  names  are 
placed  in  God's  book  of  remembrance  in  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  Hebrews  as  those  who  pleased  him  were 
men  and  women  of  strong  and  growing  faith.  There 
is  no  Saul  there,  and  no  Thomas;  but  the  names  of 
Enoch  and  Noah  and  Abraham,  of  Sarah  and  Isaac 
and  Jacob,  of  Joseph  and  Moses  and  Rahab,  tell  us  dis- 
tinctly that  a  growing  faith  is  necessary  to  him  who 
would  please  God. 


30 


THE  REWARD  OF  THE  MAN  WHO 
TRUSTS 

TRUST  in  God  brings  blessings  for  the  present. 
David  said  of  God:  "He  is  our  help."  Note 
that  little  word  "  is."  How  much  it  tells  of  the  life 
of  the  writer!  He  believed  God's  Word,  and  accepted 
it.  He  understood  that  God  was  not  only  ready  to 
help  him,  but  that  he  was  helping  him.  He  had  made 
trial  of  God  in  the  past,  had  been  brought  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  his  power  and  ability  to  help  his- children,  and 
now  he  was  simply  resting  in  the  knowledge  that  he 
was  with  him.  God  was  his  help  in  difficulties,  public 
and  personal;  his  help  in  temptations;  his  help  in  suf- 
fering. "  He  is  our  help."  This  was  a  declaration 
like  that  made  by  Lincoln  when  he  left  Springfield  for 
Washington  after  his  election  to  the  presidency :  ''  I 
feel  that  I  cannot  succeed  without  the  divine  aid  upon 
which  at  all  times  Washington  relied.  On  him  I  place 
my  reliance  for  support." 

But  David  was  also  sure  of  receiving  benefits  for 
the  future.  In  the  same  passage  from  which  quotation 
has  already  been  made  he  said :  "  Our  heart  shall  re- 
joice in  him."  He  knew  that  the  future  held  for  him 
nothing  but  joy — not  transient  joy,  the  joy  of  earthly 
existence,  the  joy  which  man  tastes  only  to  turn  from 

31 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

it  in  disgust;  but  real  joy,  the  joy  of  the  heart,  the 
joy  of  God  himself.  A  heart  rejoicing  in  the  Lord  is 
to  be  the  possession,  throughout  an  eternal  future,  of 
every  man  who  trusts  in  God,  because  God  will  wait 
lovingly  on  those  who  trust  him,  and  will  give  them 
joy  in  the  knowledge  and  the  possession  of  himself. 

I  doubt,  however,  if  there  was  any  such  distinction 
between  present  and  future  blessings  in  the  mind  of 
David.  For  he  had  a  vivid  sense  of  God  present  with 
him.  Having  God  he  had  all  things,  not  only  for  the 
present,  but  for  the  future;  not  only  for  the  future, 
but  for  the  present.  Eternal  life  was  his  present  pos- 
session; the  joy  of  the  future  would  be  but  a  continua- 
tion of  his  present  joy.  That  experience  will  be  under- 
stood by  many  Christians.  They  not  only  grasp  the 
blessings  of  the  present — these  can  be  understood  and 
appreciated  by  their  friends — but  they  have  so  long 
brooded  over  the  promise,  "  all  things  are  yours,"  and 
the  personality  and  reliability  of  him  who  inspired 
those  words,  that  already,  by  faith,  they  have  laid  hold 
upon  the  joys  of  the  future  and  have  them  in  the 
present. 

Once  I  read  the  story  of  a  poor  Christian  widow 
who  had  long  looked  forward  to  receiving  a  fortune 
which  had  been  in  litigation  for  many  years.  She  had 
planned  just  what  she  would  do  with  every  dollar;  it 
was  all  to  go  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  work 
at  home  and  abroad.  She  was  sure  of  her  right  to  the 
fortune.  Her  lawyer  had  assured  her  it  would  be  in 
her  possession  some  day.  She  was  as  happy  in  plan- 
ning the  distribution  of  the  funds  as  if  they  were 
actually  in  her  hands.     And  when  she  died,  without 

32 


REWARD  OF  THE  MAN  WHO  TRUSTS 

having  received  the  fortune,  it  was  found  that,  by 
will,  she  had  left  it  all  to  the  work  to  which  she  had, 
in  thought,  given  it  while  yet  alive.  That  was,  then, 
as  much  a  real  gift,  so  far  as  she  was  concerned,  as  it 
proved  to  be  a  few  days  after  her  death,  when  the 
case  was  settled  and  the  money  was  turned  over  to  the 
widow's  church.  She  had  simply  grasped  in  the  pres- 
ent what  she  felt  assured  was  to  come  to  her  in  the 
future. 

So  it  was  with  the  patriarch  Jacob.  He  received 
a  promise  from  God  that  the  land  in  which  he  dwelt 
was  to  belong  to  his  seed  after  him.  This  promise  was 
so  many  times  repeated,  and  he  dwelt  on  the  thought 
of  it  so  often,  that  he  looked  upon  the  land  as  already 
his,  though  many  tribes  of  enemies  occupied  it.  And 
when  he  lay  on  his  deathbed  in  Egypt,  far  from  the 
promised  inheritance,  he  felt  that  it  was  his  to  dispose 
of  as  he  would — a  present  possession,  because  a  prom- 
ised possession.  With  magnificent  faith  he  called  his 
sons  and  gave  them  his  blessing,  and  to  each  man  a 
portion  in  that  land  of  promise.  It  has  been  pointed 
cut  that  the  reality  of  his  belief  in  his  present  posses- 
sion was  shown  when,  pausing  in  the  midst  of  his 
legacy-giving,  he  lifted  his  eyes  to  heaven  and  cried, 
"  I  have  waited  for  thy  salvation,  O  Lord,"  as  though 
singing  in  his  gratitude  to  God,  "  Thou  didst  promise ; 
now  thou  hast  fulfilled  thy  promise ;  the  promised  bless- 
ing is  at  hand."  By  long  communion  with  God,  he 
had  grasped  the  promises  so  securely  that  the  mark 
between  present  and  future  had  entirely  disappeared. 
For  him  all  was  present  joy,  because  of  present 
faith. 

33 


JHE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

Are  we  learning  how  trust  in  God  enriches  life  here 
and  now  with  all  the  promised  joys  of  God,  enabling 
us,  while  we  are  still  toiling  upon  the  earth,  to  grasp 
hands  with  the  glorified  saints,  and  to  share  the  hap- 
piness they  know  ? 


34 


TWO 
THE  REALITY  OF  GOD'S  GUIDANCE 


35 


The  clouds  hang  heavy  'round  my  way, 

I  cannot  see ; 
But  through  the  darkness  I  believe 

God  leadeth  me- 
'Tis  sweet  to  keep  my  hand  in  his 

While  all  is  dim ; 
To  close  my  weary,  aching  eyes, 

And  follow  him. 
Through  many  a  thorny  path  he  leads 

My  tired  feet ; 
Through   many   a  path  of  tears   I   go. 

But  it  is  sweet 
To  know  that  he  is  close  to  me, 

My  God,  my  Guide. 
He  leadeth  me.  and  so  I  walk 

Quite  satisfied. 
To  my  blind  eyes  he  may  reveal 

No  light  at  all : 
But  while  I  lean  on  his  strong  arm 

I  cannot  fall. 

— Henry  Alford. 


36 


VI 

FOLLOWING  GOD'S  LEADING 

'TpHOUSANDS  of  years  ago,  the  promise  was 
-■-  given  to  those  who  loved  God  that  they  should 
be  directed  day  by  day  in  such  a  way  that  their 
lives  would  be  useful  and  happy.  The  promise  was 
very  specific.  "  And  thou  shalt  hear  a  voice  behind 
thee  saying,  This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it,  when  thou 
turnest  to  the  right  hand  or  when  thou  turnest  to  the 
left." 

Of  course  there  were  those  who  did  not  believe  the 
promise;  they  tried  to  guide  themselves.  But  there 
were  many  who  did  believe ;  every  day  they  gave  them- 
selves up  to  God  for  his  guidance,  so  that  they  were 
able  to  make  their  own  the  language  of  the  Psalm, 
"  The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  I  shall  not  want.  .  .  .  He 
leadeth  me  beside  the  still  waters.  .  .  .  He  leadeth  me 
in  the  paths  of  righteousness  for  his  name's  sake."  To 
them  the  promise  was  given  by  Jesus  that  he  would 
send  his  Spirit  into  their  hearts,  that  he  might  guide 
them  into  all  truth. 

How  is  the  promise  fulfilled?  This  is  a  mystery  to 
those  who  will  not  give  themselves  up  to  God's  guid- 
ance ;  but  to  those  who  do  yield  themselves  it  becomes 
very  plain  that  God  guides  those  who  put  themselves  in 
his  hands  and  seek  to  cooperate  with  him  by  doing  the 
very  best  they  can  for  themselves. 

37 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

We  are  foolish  when  we  think  we  can  guide  our- 
selves through  the  mazes  of  life.  Our  vision  is  im- 
perfect, our  judgment  is  immature,  we  can  see  such 
a  small  part  of  our  surroundings  and  cannot  properly 
interpret  these.  Our  need  is  for  One  whose  vision 
and  judgment  are  perfect,  who  knows  our  circum- 
stances and  the  circumstances  of  others,  that  we  may 
ask  him  to  guide  us. 

To  frightened  passengers  on  an  ocean  steamer  who 
feared  because  they  saw  only  the  fog  about  them,  the 
chief  mate  said :  ''  You  need  not  be  the  least  uneasy. 
The  fog  extends  only  to  a  certain  height  above  the 
water,  and  the  captain  is  at  the  masthead,  up  above 
the  fog,  and  it  is  he  who  is  directing  the  vessel! " 

There  is  no  reason  to  be  uneasy  when  we  put  our- 
selves in  the  hands  of  him  who  sees  above  and  beyond 
the  fogs  and  clouds  of  life.  He  knows  the  way  we 
take  and  he  will  make  plain  our  pathway  before 
us. 

God's  guidance  is  given  to  those  who  read  his  word, 
who  pray  to  him,  not  merely  once  a  day,  but  who  are 
always  in  communion  with  him.  The  way  may  never 
seem  to  be  made  plain  very  far  ahead,  but  God  makes  it 
plain  sufficiently  far  ahead  to  enable  his  people  to 
plant  their  steps  firmly  and  confidently.  When  they 
need  it,  more  light  will  be  given. 

Christians  often  rebel  as  God  shows  them  the  way 
they  are  to  take.  They  think  their  own  way  would  be 
better,  but  it  is  only  as  they  yield  their  judgment  to 
God's  loving  wisdom  that  their  lives  become  filled  with 
peace  and  joy. 

The  lesson  is  taught  by  George  MacDonald: 

38 


FOLLOWING  GOD'S  LEADING 

I  said,  "Let  me  walk  in  the  field," 
He  said,  "Nay,  walk  in  the  town." 

I  said,  "There  arc  no  flowers  there," 
He  said,  "  No  flowers,  but  a  crown." 

I  said,  "  But  the  skies  are  black. 

There  is  nothing  but  noise  and  din ;  " 
But  he  wept  as  he  sent  me  back, 
"There  is  more,"  he  said,  "there  is  sin." 

I  said,  "I  shall  miss  the  light, 

And  friends  will  miss  me,  they  say;" 

He  answered  me,  "  Choose  to-night, 
H  I  am  to  miss  you,  or  they." 

I  pleaded  for  time  to  be  given : 
He  said,  "Is  it  hard  to  decide? 

It  will  not  seem  hard  in  heaven 

To  have  followed  the  steps  of  your  Guide.* 

Then  into  his  hand  went  mine. 

And  into  my  heart  came  he; 
And  I  walked  in  a  light  divine. 

The  path  I  had  feared  to  see. 


39 


VII 
WHEN  GOD  IS  GUIDE 

^TT^HERE  is  a  marvelous  record  in  a  wonderful  Book 
•*-  that  tells  of  two  men,  each  of  whom  was  making 
a  journey.  They  did  not  know  each  other,  and  they 
were  not  planning  to  go  in  the  same  direction.  One 
of  the  men  was  troubled  and  anxious;  he  had  been 
reading  a  book  which  he  did  not  understand.  The 
second  man  knew  something  that  would  help  him. 

But  what  good  was  his  knowledge  to  the  anxious 
man  until  they  were  brought  together?  And  how 
was  the  one  to  find  the  other  ? 

There  was  just  one  way,  for  there  was  One  only 
who  had  access  to  both  men.  God  wanted  them  to 
meet,  for  he  knew  the  one  man's  need,  and  the  other 
man's  longing  to  be  of  use.  So  he  guided  the  reader 
till  the  reader  came  close  to  the  man  who  knew,  and 
he  guided  the  steps  of  the  man  who  knew  till  he  saw 
the  reader.     Acts  8 :  26-40  tells  what  followed. 

Two  chapters  further  on,  the  same  Book  tells  of 
two  other  men  who  were  brought  together  in  a  man- 
ner equally  marvelous.  One  of  them  was  an  officer 
in  the  Roman  army.  One  night  he  was  praying.  We 
are  not  told  the  subject  of  his  prayer,  but  we  can  guess. 
He  must  have  asked  to  be  taught  how  to  serve  God 
better,  for  when  he  was  praying  God  told  him  to 
seek  a  certain  Jew,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  He  is  the  man 

40 


\  WHEN  GOD  IS  GUIDE 

to  help  you."  Now  the  centurion  did  not  know  the 
Jew,  and  he  well  might  have  been  reluctant  to  send  for 
him,  for  he  knew  a  Jew  would  not  be  apt  to  listen  to 
a  communication  from  a  Gentile.  Yet  God  had  told 
him  what  to  do,  so  he  did  as  he  was  told. 

Now  the  Jew,  too,  was  a  man  of  prayer.  The  day 
after  the  prayer  of  the  centurion,  which  led  him  to  send 
for  the  Jew,  the  Jew  was  praying.  We  are  not  told 
the  subject  of  his  prayer,  either,  but,  if  we  are  to 
judge  from  the  answer,  he  must  have  been  seeking 
guidance  in  his  work  for  God.  God  told  him  to  follow 
the  men  who  were  even  then  seeking  for  him,  the  cen- 
turion's men,  who  were  near  at  hand,  obeying  their 
master's  orders. 

The  Jew  obeyed  the  message,  as  the  centurion  had 
obeyed  the  day  before,  and  thus  God  brought  together 
these  two  men  who  were  to  help  each  other,  and  were 
to  be  a  blessing  to  the  world. 

"  How  fine  it  would  be  to  have  my  wants  supplied 
in  such  an  unmistakable  fashion !  "  the  reader  of  these 
stories  says.  ''  But  I  must  not  expect  such  a  thing  to 
happen  to-day !  " 

Why  not  ?  Such  things  do  happen  to-day,  for  God 
is  the  same  to-day  as  in  the  days  of  the  desert  reader 
and  the  traveling  Jew;  as  in  the  days  of  the  eager  cen- 
turion and  the  praying  Simon  Peter. 

In  a  busy  Atlantic  Coast  city  there  was  a  pastor 
for  whom  the  onerous  demands  of  the  Sunday  school 
and  the  church  were  proving  too  heavy.  If  the  work 
was  to  be  done  properly,  he  knew  he  must  have  assist- 
ance. But  where  was  assistance  to  come  from?  Al- 
ready the  members  of  the  church  were  carrying  heavy 

41 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

burdens,  and  the  pastor  could  not  ask  them  to  assume 
the  expense  of  an  assistant.  He  thought,  he  prayed, 
he  tried  in  every  way  of  which  he  could  think  to  supply 
his  own  need,  but  in  vain.  Just  then  came  an  insistent 
call  to  attend  a  district  meeting  of  ministers.  At  first 
he  thought  he  could  not  go;  the  cost  would  be  more 
than  he  felt  able  to  pay,  the  journey  would  be  long 
and  arduous,  and  home  work  was  crowding  more  than 
ever.  Yet  as  he  prayed  for  guidance  he  was  sure  he 
ought  to  attend  that  meeting. 

Hundreds  of  miles  away  was  another  minister  who 
had  resigned  his  church  in  a  distant  state  for  reasons 
of  health.  At  last  the  way  was  open  to  resume  work, 
but  he  did  not  wish  a  field  where  he  would  work  for 
salary.  God  had  given  him  income  sufficient  for  his 
needs,  and  he  was  eager  to  work  where  he  was  needed, 
without  a  cent  of  pay.  He  had  asked  God  to  guide  him 
to  work.  To  him,  also,  came  the  notice  to  attend  the 
meeting.  Because  the  journey  would  be  difficult  he 
was  on  the  point  of  remaining  at  home,  but  when  he 
prayed  for  guidance,  he  felt  he  must  attend  the  meet- 
ing. 

At  the  meeting  the  two  men  were  brought  face  to 
face,  though  as  strangers.  The  pastor  who  needed  as- 
sistance told  the  assembled  ministers  of  the  great  open- 
ings in  his  field,  and  the  impossibility  of  taking  advan- 
tage of  them.  The  minister  who  sought  work  listened, 
and  knew  that  his  prayer  was  answered.  Immediately 
on  returning  home,  he  wrote  to  the  overworked  pastor, 
offering  his  services,  without  cost.  Inquiries  were 
made  of  those  to  whom  he  referred,  and  these  were 
satisfactorily  answered.    Within  two  months  after  the 

42 


WHEN  GOD  IS  GUIDE 

district  meeting  he  was  settled  as  associate  pastor  in 
the  needy  field.  The  prayers  of  both  men  were  an- 
swered.   God  had  guided  their  steps. 

This  is  not  an  isolated  instance;  it  is  merely  one  of 
thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  that  are  told  daily  by 
those  who  talk  to  one  another  of  God's  marvelous 
works.  Never  does  God  forget  his  people.  Always 
he  looks  out  for  their  welfare,  planning  for  them,  seek- 
ing to  give  them  his  very  best,  eager  to  have  them 
come  to  him  and  put  themselves  in  his  hands,  that 
blessing  may  be  theirs. 

And  all  he  asks  of  those  to  whom  he  wants  to  give 
such  wonderful  blessings  is  trust.  But  he  wants  such 
absolute  trust  that  we  will  always  be  ready  to  do  his 
bidding  without  question. 


43 


VIII 

DOES  GOD  GUIDE  TO-DAY? 

AN  earnest  Christian  who  had  known  difficulty  and 
-^  ^  trial  all  through  his  long  life  was  once  asked  if 
he  believed  in  God's  guidance.    This  was  his  reply : 

"  Nothing  is  truer  or  surer  to  me  than  that  God  has 
shown  me,  through  all  my  days,  the  way  in  which  I 
should  walk.  It  has  not  always  been  the  way  in  which 
I  wished  to  walk.  Ofttimes  he  has  led  me  in  bitter  and 
painful  ways.  But  now,  looking  back,  I  see  that  he 
has  always  shown  me  the  right  path.  When  I  have 
not  had  my  own  way,  it  would  have  meant  disaster  if  I 
had.  I  have  not  always  followed  sweetly  or  cheerfully, 
nor  have  I  in  every  case  accepted  my  disappointments 
with  love.  But  to-day  I  thank  God  for  every  step,  for 
every  thwarting  of  my  own  will. 

"  And  I  want  to  say  to  you  that  you  may  absolutely, 
unquestioningly,  and  without  fear  let  God  show  you 
the  way,  even  though  he  should  lead  you  through  shat- 
tered hopes  and  through  pain  and  tears.  Some  of  you 
have  found  God's  way  very  strange  and  mysterious, 
but  you  need  not  be  afraid.  You  sometimes  ask, 
*  Lord,  can  this  be  thy  way  ?  '  The  answer  is, '  Yes,  my 
way  of  wisdom,  of  love,  of  goodness,  the  way  to  the 
best  things,  to  glory,  to  joy,  and  peace.' 

*'  Never  doubt  that  God  will  lead  if  you  will  only 
take  his  way.     The  truest  thing  in  all  my  life  is  the 

44 


DOES  GOD  GUIDE  TO-DAY? 

companionship  of  Christ.  He  is  with  me  in  the  small- 
est ways.  He  orders  my  steps.  He  decides  for  me  in 
the  simplest  perplexities.  He  shows  me  the  way  in 
everything.  If  I  were  never  to  speak  to  you  again,  I 
would  say  that  you  may  make  this  the  prayer  of  your 
heart  every  moment,  in  every  experience :  '  Cause  me 
to  know  the  way  wherein  I  should  walk,'  and  his  guid- 
ance will  never  be  wanting,  and  will  never  be  mis- 
taken." 

Does  God  guide  his  people  to-day?     Try  him,  and 
see. 


45 


IX 

BEFORE  AND  AFTER 

A  CHRISTIAN  man  who  was  passing  through  a 
•^^  period  of  trial  and  uncertainty  was  Hstening  to 
selections  played  on  a  neighbor's  graphophone.  At 
first  he  was  politely  attentive.  Soon,  however,  his 
perplexing  problems  reasserted  themselves,  and  he  be- 
came unmindful  of  what  was  going  on.  His  head 
drooped,  his  eyes  had  a  far-away  expression,  and  there 
was  a  look  of  care  on  his  face.  Noting  his  absorption, 
and  understanding  the  reason  for  it,  the  sympathetic 
friend  who  was  selecting  the  records  chose  the  next 
with  the  prayer  that  it  would  reach  his  heart. 

As  the  first  notes  of  ''  O  Rest  in  the  Lord  "  sounded, 
the  man  seemed  to  pay  no  attention.  Soon,  however, 
he  looked  up  as  if  startled.  In  a  moment  he  was 
listening  intently,  eagerly.  The  strained  look  left  his 
face,  and  he  sat  back  comfortably  in  his  chair.  When 
the  song  ended,  he  gave  a  happy  sigh  and  said  grate- 
fully : 

"  Oh,  but  that  was  good !  That  is  what  I  need  to 
do.  I  must  just  '  rest  in  the  Lord; '  I  must  '  wait  pa- 
tiently for  him.'  I  know  I  have  no  right  to  doubt  him. 
It  is  all  going  to  come  out  right;  I  know  it  will." 

Less  than  three  months  from  that  time  he  was  re- 
joicing in  some  of  the  very  disappointments  that  had 
paved  the  way  for  the  great  blessings  God  was  then 
revealing  to  him. 

46 


BEFORE  AND  AFTER 

In  the  story  of  his  life  Henry  Bessemer  has  told 
of  a  series  of  disappointments  which  proved  to  be 
blessings  in  disguise.  He  had  devised  a  stamp  to  be 
sold  by  the  English  government  for  use  on  documents, 
which  could  not  be  counterfeited.  On  learning  that 
the  government  was  suffering  a  great  loss  each  year 
through  the  misuse  of  document  stamps,  he  went  to 
the  Stamp  Officer  with  his  device.  The  chief,  much 
impressed,  offered  him  a  position  in  the  office  at  a 
good  salary,  in  return  for  the  assignment  of  full  rights 
to  his  invention.  He  was  filled  with  joy,  for  the  salary 
would  enable  him  to  marry  at  once.  His  joy  was 
short-lived,  however,  for  a  far  simpler  method  than 
his  own  for  protecting  the  stamps  came  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Stamp  Officer,  and  the  offer  was  with- 
drawn. 

It  is  not  strange  that  this  sudden  change  in  the  pros- 
pects of  the  young  inventor  caused  temporary  de- 
pression. But  he  went  to  work  bravely,  and  soon  he 
realized  that  the  disappointment  was  a  blessing  in  dis- 
guise. Instead  of  burying  his  talents  in  a  government 
office,  he  devoted  himself  to  other  inventions  which 
earned  for  him  fame  and  fortune,  and  brought  great 
blessing  to  the  world. 

Not  many  years  ago  the  mother  of  an  American 
writer  of  some  note  became  an  invalid,  requiring  con- 
stant care.  With  a  sigh  the  daughter  gave  up  her  plans 
for  literary  work  and  devoted  herself  to  the  invalid. 
Day  after  day  she  wheeled  her  mother  to  the  fields 
and  the  woods.  Many  times  she  thought  of  her  neg- 
lected work,  but  soon  she  was  so  busy  investigating 
moths  and  butterflies  for  the  edification  of  her  mother 

47 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

that  she  forgot  her  disappointment.  In  a  few  years 
she  had  gathered  so  much  information  about  the 
insects  that  she  was  able  to  write  a  book  that  was  re- 
ceived at  once  by  scientists  as  an  authority,  and  when 
she  could  resume  her  interrupted  Hterary  work  the 
reputation  gained  through  the  volume  proved  of  great 
assistance  to  her. 

A  busy  pastor  was  laid  aside  by  reason  of  a  nervous 
breakdown  and  was  ordered  by  his  physician  to  take 
months  of  absolute  rest.  For  a  time  he  was  discon- 
solate, but  finally  he  made  up  his  mind  to  go  to  Texas 
and  live  in  the  open  air.  One  day  his  attention  was 
attracted  by  some  ants  in  his  path.  He  became  ab- 
sorbed in  them.  For  months  he  continued  the  investi- 
gations begun  that  day,  and  when  the  enforced  vaca- 
tion was  over  he  had  regained  his  health,  he  had  laid 
the  foundation  for  experimental  knowledge  of  ants  and 
spiders  that  secured  for  him  recognition  as  the  world's 
greatest  authority  on  certain  phases  of  insect  life,  and 
he  had  a  hobby  that  saved  him  from  further  break- 
down; his  usefulness  in  his  chosen  calling  was  thus 
greatly  prolonged. 

It  is  a  simple  matter  to  note  after  the  event  how 
so  many  blessings  have  their  root  in  what  seemed  dis- 
aster, disappointment,  or  hardship.  Only  the  man  of 
faith  is  able  to  see  the  coming  blessing  while  he  is  still 
in  the  midst  of  trial.  Only  the  Christian  who  has 
learned  the  Psalmist's  meaning  when  he  said,  '*  Com- 
mit thy  way  unto  the  Lord,  trust  also  in  him,  and  he 
shall  bring  it  to  pass,"  can  assure  himself  that  it  is 
God's  way  to  bring  blessing  out  of  disaster,  joy  out 
of  disappointment,  peace  out  of  trial. 

48 


X 

LINKS  IN  THE  CHAIN 

TN  1835  the  American  Baptists  opened  a  mission  in 
-■•  India.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Samuel  S.  Day  were  the  first 
missionaries.  For  eleven  years  they  labored  at  Madras 
and  Nellore.  Results  were  meager.  But  they  waited 
in  faith,  prayed  day  by  day,  and  proved  their  faith 
by  their  work.  In  1846,  when  the  failure  of  Mr. 
Day's  health  compelled  them  to  return  home,  there 
were  but  seven  members  on  the  field,  and  only  two  of 
these  were  Telugus. 

The  story  of  the  Telugu  Mission  by  John  E. 
Clough  ^  tells  what  followed : 

"  After  two  years  in  America,  with  health  restored, 
Mr.  Day  asked  to  be  sent  back  to  India.  Rev.  Lyman 
Jewett  was  under  appointment  and  was  to  go  with 
him.  At  the  annual  meeting  [of  the  American  Board 
of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions]  of  1848  the 
question  was  raised  why  this  feeble  mission  should 
be  continued.  Should  not  these  two  men  be  sent  to 
some  other  more  promising  field?  Mr.  Day  pleaded 
for  the  life  of  his  mission.  He  knew  that  his  fiock 
was  scattered.  Nevertheless,  he  begged  to  be  sent 
back.  One  of  the  great  men  of  the  denomination  came 
forward  and  helped  him.  Dr.  William  R.  Williams 
brought  in  a  report  for  the  committee  to  which  this 

^  "  Social  Christianity  in  the  Orient." 

49 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

question  had  been  referred.  It  had  for  its  keynote, 
*  Destroy  it  not,  for  a  blessing  is  in  it.'  He  was  one 
of  the  first  to  strike  the  prophetic  note  on  behalf  of 
the  Telugu  mission  which  afterwards  became  charac- 
teristic." 

Together  Mr.  Day  and  Mr.  Jewett  labored  in  faith, 
year  after  year.  Results  were  meager.  Still  there 
wars  no  thought  of  giving  up.  They  wanted  to  con- 
tinue work  at  Nellore,  and  they  looked  forward  to 
occupying  Ongole,  which  Mr.  Day  felt  sure  would 
some  day  be  the  great  center  of  the  mission.  Yet  they 
knew  well  that  the  absence  of  definite  results  would 
endanger  the  continuance  of  the  station  they  were  oc- 
cupying. "  Often  the  Jewetts  heard  Mr.  Day  in  the 
solitude  of  his  own  room  praying  aloud  for  the  Telugu 
Mission,  and  sometimes  words  ceased  and  there  were 
groans  as  if  he  were  in  a  travail  of  soul." 

Five  years  more  passed.  Once  more  Mr.  Day's 
health  failed,  and  he  returned  to  America.  He  never 
saw  the  field  again.  But  he  continued  to  see  by  faith 
the  results  he  knew  were  coming.  And  Mr.  Jewett 
continued  the  work  in  faith. 

A  few  months  after  Mr.  Day's  departure  word  came 
to  Mr.  Jewett  that  a  decision  was  about  to  be  made  to 
sell  the  bungalow,  give  up  the  mission,  and  remove 
him  to  Burmah.  A  friend  who  wrote  to  him  of  this 
asked  him,  "  If  the  society  gives  up  the  mission,  what 
field  will  you  occupy?"  The  reply  of  the  faith-filled 
man  was  inspiring :  "  Then  Lyman  Jewett  will  stay  and 
work  by  himself  with  the  Telugus." 

A  deputation  was  sent  from  America  to  Nellore. 
They  formed  an  unfavorable  opinion,  and  let  it  be 

50 


LINKS  IN  THE  CHAIN 

known  that  they  were  ready  to  report  that  the  field 
should  be  abandoned.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Missionary  Society  in  Albany  in  1853,  the  report  of 
the  deputation  was  received,  and  abandonment  seemed 
certain. 

Finally  Dr.  Edward  Bright  rose  and  "  described  how 
the  little  group  of  Christian  members  at  Nellore  would 
feel  when  they  learned  that  American  Baptists  had 
abandoned  them."  He  was  the  one  who  would  have 
to  write  the  letter  to  them,  he  declared.  He  said  it  was 
a  task  that  he  did  not  care  to  face.  He  walked  up  and 
down  the  platform  repeating  despairingly  the  ques- 
tion again  and  again,  *'  And  who  shall  write  the 
letter?" 

"  A  large  map  of  Baptist  missions  was  hanging 
over  the  pulpit,"  Mr.  Clough  said,  in  telling  the  story 
of  the  meeting.  "  On  one  side  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal 
was  a  thick  cluster  of  stars,  representing  mission  sta- 
tions in  Burmah.  On  the  other  side  was  just  one  star, 
indicating  the  Nellore  station  in  the  Telugu  country. 
Some  one  in  the  heat  of  argument  pointed  to  it  and 
called  it  a  '  Lone  Star.'  There  was  one  man  in  that 
audience  who  was  touched  by  the  expression  ^  Lone 
Star,'  Dr.  S.  F.  Smith,  the  author  of  '  My  Country, 
'tis  of  Thee.'  Next  morning  at  his  breakfast  table 
Judge  Ira  Harris  asked  Dr.  Smith's  opinion  about  the 
question  to  be  decided  at  the  meeting  of  that  morning. 
Dr.  Smith  took  a  slip  of  paper  out  of  his  pocket,  on 
which  he  had  written  a  poem  overnight,  and  said, '  You 
have  it  here.'  " 

At  the  meeting  that  morning  the  poem  was  read  with 
telling  effect : 

51 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

Shine  on,  '  Lone  Star ! '    Thy  radiance  bright 

Shall  spread  o'er  all  the  eastern  sky. 
Morn  breaks  apace  from  gloom  and  night; 

Shine  on,  and  bless  the  pilgrim's  sight.  .   .   . 

Shine  tin,  '  Lone  Star !  *    The  day  draws  near 
When  none  shall  shine  more  fair  than  thou; 

Thou,  born  and  nursed  in  doubt  and  fear, 
Wilt  glimmer  on  Immanuel's  brow. 

When  the  reading  of  the  poem  was  completed,  it 
was  apparent  to  all  that  the  Telugu  Mission  was 
saved. 

To  Dr.  Jewett  in  India  went  a  copy  of  the  poem. 
He  carried  it  about  with  him  and  read  it  frequently. 
"  It  was  an  anchor  to  his  faith." 

A  few  months  after  hearing  of  the  Albany  meeting 
he  went  with  his  wife  and  children  to  Ongole.  *'  There 
were  some  low  hills  close  to  Ongole.  They  decided  to 
go  up  on  one  of  those  hilltops  to  pray,  early  the  first 
morning  of  the  new  year,  1854.  .  .  .  They  sang  to- 
gether, they  prayed  together,  one  after  another.  Dr. 
Jewett  stood  up  and  looked  over  the  plain  before  him, 
dotted  with  villages,  perhaps  fifty  of  them  in  full  sight, 
in  the  radiance  of  the  dawn.  He  said,  '  As  the  sun  is 
now  about  to  rise  and  shine  upon  the  earth,  so  may  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness  arise  quickly  and  shine  upon  this 
dark  land.'  He  pointed  to  a  piece  of  land,  all  over- 
grown with  cactus,  and  asked,  *  Would  you  not  like 
that  spot  for  our  mission  bungalow,  and  all  this  land 
to  become  Christian  ?    Well,  that  day  will  come.'  " 

But  where  was  the  man  whom  God  would  send  to 
the  station?  He  wondered,  but  as  he  wondered  he 
quieted  himself,  for  he  knew  the  man  would  come  in 
God's  good  time. 

52 


LINKS  IN  THE  CHAIN 

Six  years  more  passed.  Still  there  were  no  visible 
results  of  Dr.  Jewett's  work.  At  the  Baptist  Anni- 
versaries in  1862  a  majority  felt  that  abundant  time 
had  been  given  the  Telugu  Mission  to  show  results. 
The  vote  was  about  to  be  taken  which  would 
mean  the  death  of  the  work,  when  Dr.  Warren, 
secretary  of  the  Missionary  Society,  rose  and  ex- 
claimed, ''  Wait,  brethren,  wait !  You  know  not  what 
you  are  doing.  Wait ;  let  us  hear  what  Brother 
Jewett,  who  is  now  on  his  journey  home,  has  to  say 
on  this  subject." 

When  Dr.  Jewett  arrived  he  was  called  before  the 
executive  committee  of  the  society.  '^  They  proposed 
to  him  the  relinquishment  of  the  Telugu  Mission. 
They  found  him  immovable.  His  faith  told  him, 
'  God  has  much  people  among  the  Telugus.'  He  had 
labored  among  them  for  fourteen  years,  and  declined 
to  be  transplanted  to  some  other  field.  He  meant  to 
live,  and  if  need  be,  to  die,  among  the  Telugus.  It  is 
said  that  Dr.  Warren  smiled  then  and  answered, 
'  Well,  brother,  if  you  are  resolved  to  return,  we  must 
send  some  one  with  you  to  bury  you.'  " 

And  now  for  the  man  whom  God  was  preparing  for 
Ongole. 

Less  than  one  year  after  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Day's 
work  in  India,  John  E.  Clough  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Chautauqua  County,  New  York.  The  family  physician 
said,  as  he  looked  upon  him  in  his  cradle,  "  One  con- 
tinent will  be  too  small  to  hold  that  boy." 

A  few  years  later  the  boy's  father  moved  to  Iowa, 
and  John  had  the  experience  of  a  pioneer's  son.    Later 

53 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

he  toiled  as  a  surveyor,  and  felt  that  perhaps  he  had 
found  his  life  work. 

In  1853,  the  year  of  the  Albany  meeting,  when  the 
fate  of  the  Telugu  Mission  was  in  the  balance,  he 
determined  to  go  to  school.  He  worked  for  his  board 
at  the  town  hotel,  and  was  frequently  left  in  charge 
of  the  guests.  He  studied  hard,  determined  to  learn 
what  would  make  him  a  better  surveyor.  Sometimes 
he  thought  that  he  might  become  a  lawyer. 

In  1857  he  entered  Burlington  University,  Iowa. 
He  knew  that  the  school  had  a  theological  department, 
but  this  did  not  trouble  him :  he  proposed  to  give  the 
department  a  wide  berth ;  he  had  no  use  for  ministers 
or  missionaries. 

He  was  assigned  to  the  room  of  A.  D.  McMichael, 
a  Christian  man,  who  on  the  first  evening  asked  him 
to  join  in  Bible  reading  and  prayer.  "  I  told  him 
frankly  that  I  was  a  skeptic,  but  if  such  was  his  habit 
to  go  right  on,  and  added,  '  I  guess  I  can  stand  it  if 
you  can.'  "  Mr.  Clough  wrote,  when  he  was  an  old 
man,  ''  With  half  an  ear  I  heard  my  room-mate  read 
his  chapter  and  mention  my  name  in  prayer  night  after 
night.  I  felt  quite  free  to  say  to  him  that  I  had  no 
use  for  this  sort  of  thing." 

Not  many  weeks  passed  before  the  Christian  at- 
mosphere influenced  him.  "  McMichael  was  stead- 
fastly continuing  his  habit  of  reading  his  Bible  and 
praying  at  night  before  retiring.  I  knew  that  other 
men,  teachers  and  students,  whom  I  was  learning  to 
love  and  esteem  more  every  day,  were  doing  just  as 
McMichael  was  doing.  When  trying  to  study  while 
he  was  praying  I  began  to  feel  as  if  I  was  showing 

54 


LINKS  IN  THE  CHAIN 

disrespect  to  them  all.  I  had  to  yield  to  the  pressure. 
...  In  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Burlington  I  was 
baptized  February  ii,  1858." 

Friends  tried  to  convince  him  that  he  was  called  to 
be  a  minister,  but  he  was  reluctant  to  decide  as  they 
wished — in  part,  perhaps,  because  as  a  student  for  the 
ministry  he  would  receive  partial  support.  He  dared 
not  think  of  the  aid  given  to  students  preparing  for 
the  ministry:  the  thought  might  prove  too  great  a 
temptation  to  him  during  those  days  of  great  finan- 
cial strain  when  he  found  it  hard  to  make  ends 
meet. 

Before  his  graduation,  he  decided  that  he  ought  to 
become  a  missionary,  but  he  reconsidered  his  decision. 
He  was  married,  and  he  needed  to  support  his  wife. 
So,  when  a  school  was  offered  to  him,  he  promised  to 
teach.  Soon  he  became  a  man  of  influence  in  the 
community.  At  length  he  thought  he  saw  a  chance  to 
advance  himself  by  political  methods.  While  serving 
as  delegate  at  his  county  convention,  he  succeeded  in 
persuading  the  politicians  to  nominate  men  whom  he 
named  for  several  offices.  Finally  he  thought  he 
would  ask  to  be  made  county  surveyor.  Most  unac- 
countably the  convention  turned  against  him,  and 
named  another. 

Ten  years  later  he  learned  from  a  Christian  man 
who  had  been  present  in  the  convention  the  explana- 
tion of  his  failure.  '^  He  saw  how  I  controlled  it,  com- 
pelling the  men  to  do  as  I  advocated,"  Mr.  Clough 
explains.  "  My  career  in  Burlington  was  known  to 
him;  he  recognized  the  temptation  that  lay  in  my 
capacity  for  a  political  career  and  feared  that  I  would 

55 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

be  lost  to  the  ministry.  Therefore,  as  he  sat  there 
unobserved,  he  prayed  with  all  his  might  for  my  defeat. 
When  the  tide  turned  against  me,  he  went  home  and 
gave  thanks  to  God." 

Still  uncertain  as  to  his  call  to  be  a  missionary,  Mr. 
Clough  worked  for  some  time  as  a  colporteur  for  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society.  While  in  this 
work  he  heard  Dr.  Dean,  a  missionary  in  Siam,  ap- 
peal for  an  associate  to  return  with  him  to  the  field. 
After  much  self-examination,  he  decided  to  offer  him- 
self for  the  position. 

But  when,  on  August  2,  1864,  he  met  the  committee 
of  the  Missionary  Society,  and  was  asked  if  he  felt 
drawn  to  any  special  country,  he  answered  that  he  was 
ready  to  go  wherever  he  was  needed  most.  Accord- 
ingly he  was  told  that  he  was  to  go  with  Dr.  Jewett  to 
the  Telugu  Mission. 

At  once  he  became  convinced  of  the  reality  of  his 
call,  and  he  was  so  filled  with  longing  to  go  with  Dr. 
Jewett  that  when  one  of  the  committee  said  to  him, 
"  Suppose,  in  view  of  the  financial  depression,  we 
should  have  to  decide  not  to  send  you  to  the  Telugu, 
what  would  you  do?  "  *'  I  should  have  to  find  some 
other  way  of  getting  there,"  was  the  reply. 

In  1865  he  began  work  in  Nellore.  Contact  with 
Dr.  Jewett  filled  him  with  longing  for  the  day  of  the 
coming  of  the  multitudes  of  converts  to  the  mission. 
He  knew  they  would  come.  Soon  it  was  said  in  the 
mission  that  "  Clough  talked  wild."  He  prayed  for 
one  hundred  converts  in  1866.  For  a  time  it  seemed 
as  if  the  prayer  was  not  answered.  Yet  it  was  not 
long  before  the  baptism  of  a  man  who,  during  thirty 

56 


LINKS  IN  THE  CHAIN 

years,  led  more  than  one  thousand  people  to  accept 
Christ. 

Then  came  the  day  when  word  was  brought  to  Nel- 
lore  of  a  group  of  people  in  a  village  near  Ongole  who 
somehow  had  learned  of  Christ  and  wanted  a  teacher. 
It  was  decided  that  the  time  had  come  to  occupy 
Ongole,  the  town  where  the  prayer  meeting  on  the 
hill  had  been  held  in  1854,  when  Mr.  Clough  was  at- 
tending the  high  school  in  Iowa. 

Soon  it  became  evident  that  the  men  of  faith  who 
had  prayed  for  the  success  of  the  work  among  the 
Telugus  were  to  have  their  reward,  and  that  it  was  to 
come  through  the  efforts  of  the  man  of  faith  whom 
God  had  been  preparing  for  leadership  in  the  great 
task. 

Slowly  at  first,  then  more  rapidly,  the  people  were 
reached.  They  came  at  first  by  tens,  then  by  hun- 
dreds, then  by  thousands.  Mr.  Clough  was  their  guide, 
their  shepherd,  their  helper  always.  He  cared  for 
hundreds  who  came  to  the  mission  compound  for  in- 
struction; his  experience  in  the  country  hotel  in  Iowa 
had  fitted  him  for  the  task  of  entertainment.  He 
opened  schools  for  the  children;  his  experience  as  a 
teacher  enabled  him  to  do  this  work  wisely.  In  the 
time  of  the  great  famine,  he  acted  as  surveyor  in  charge 
of  a  three  and  one-half  mile  section  of  a  canal  built  by 
the  government,  in  order  that  work  might  be  furnished 
to  the  starving;  the  knowledge  of  surveying  gained 
when  he  was  a  struggling  youth  in  the  West  was  just 
what  he  needed  then.  Even  his  political  experience 
was  helpful,  for  frequently  he  had  to  handle  multi- 
tudes in  the  most  careful  manner. 

57 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

In  1878  the  vision  of  the  man  of  faith  became 
actual.  Multitudes  clamored  to  come  to  Christ  and 
would  not  be  denied.  On  July  2,  614  were  baptized; 
next  day  the  number  was  2,222;  on  July  4,  700  more 
were  baptized — 3,536  in  three  days.  Nearly  9,000 
came  to  Christ  in  less  than  six  weeks.  In  1879  the 
church  had  15,000  members,  and  it  became  evident 
that  steps  must  be  taken  to  organize  a  group  of  smaller 
churches  where  the  people  could  be  trained  for  effective 
work. 

In  1 88 1  Dr.  Smith,  whose  poem  had  saved  the 
Telugu  Mission  in  1853,  visited  Ongole.  His  heart  was 
full  as  he  saw  what  God  had  wrought  through  men  of 
faith.  When  he  reached  home  he  wrote  these  words  of 
triumph : 


"  Shine  on !    We  learn  to  pray  and  wait 
To  toil  and  trust,  through  thee, — 
A  star   of   triumph   on   Christ's   brow, 
And  faith's  high  victory." 


58 


THREE 
FIRST  LESSONS 


59 


To  Him,   from  wanderings  long  and  wild 

I  come,  an  over-wearied  child, 

In  cool  and  shade  his  face  to  find, 

Assured  that  all  I  know  is  best. 

And  humbly  trusting  for  the  rest. 

— John  G.  Whittier. 


60 


XI 

WHEN  DANGER  THREATENED 
HER  CHILD 

TN  one  of  her  books  Mrs.  Hannah  Whitall  Smith 
-*-  said  that  when  her  son  was  about  eight  years  old 
a  grave  danger  threatened  him,  and  she  could  do 
absolutely  nothing  but  trust  in  God.  This  is  the  story 
as  she  wrote  it : 

**  A  very  wicked  man,  whom  we  had  been  obliged 
to  thwart  in  some  of  his  wicked  purposes  in  reference 
to  a  child  in  an  institution  of  which  we  were  at  the  time 
manager,  wrote  us  a  most  abusive  and  threatening 
letter.  In  it  he  declared  his  intention  of  taking  his 
revenge  on  us  through  our  son,  by  leading  him  into 
wickedness  and  making  him  as  bad  as  himself.  As  I 
read  the  letter,  my  heart  sank  within  me.  I  thought 
of  the  thousand  ways  in  which  such  a  threat  could  be 
fulfilled,  and  how  powerless  we  were  to  prevent  it.  I 
was  afraid  to  have  my  boy  out  of  my  sight  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  felt  as  if  we  would  have  to  move  out  of 
Philadelphia,  away  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  anywhere 
to  get  out  of  the  reach  of  this  wicked  man.  But  then 
I  realized  that  even  this  might  not  be  effectual,  and  in 
my  despair  I  fled  to  the  Lord  for  help.  At  once  there 
came  to  me,  as  a  voice  from  heaven,  that  blessed  prom- 
ise— '  The  angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth  round  about 
them  that  fear  him,  and  delivereth  them,'  with  the 

6i 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

assurance  that  so  would  the  angels  encamp  around  our 
boy  and  deliver  him  from  this  and  every  danger.  My 
heart  leaped  up  in  happy  confidence,  as  I  gave  him  at 
once  into  this  blessed  guardianship;  every  fear  van- 
ished, and  as  I  saw  him  leave  the  house  for  school 
the  next  morning,  I  could  almost  see  the  cohorts  of 
angels  surrounding  him  on  every  side.  I  believe  I 
never  again  feared  any  danger  for  him,  so  sure  was  I 
that  the  Lord  was  his  defense  and  his  shield  on  every 
hand.  Who  can  doubt  that  God  did  then  and  there, 
according  to  his  word,  take  the  charge  of  the  child 
thus  committed  to  him  in  an  especial  manner,  and 
that  from  henceforth  he  encamped  round  about  him 
continually,  leading  him  safely  through  all  the  dangers 
of  life,  and  landing  him  now  at  last  unharmed  in  his 
heavenly  home? " 


62 


XII 

BELIEF  THAT  COUNTS 

/^NCE  Dr.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman  was  asked  what  he 
^^  meant  by  faith.  He  replied  by  saying,  "  At  the 
foot  of  the  mountains,  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  there  are 
very  strange  and  very  interesting  gullies.  One  can  go 
for  miles  inland  in  narrow,  canal-like  creeks,  great 
fissures  in  the  mountains,  into  which  waves  of  the 
Pacific  wind  for  miles,  right  into  the  heart  of  the  coun- 
try. As  the  steamer  goes  into  the  narrow  creek,  there 
seems  right  ahead  a  rock.  Yet  there  is  no  swerving 
of  the  engine;  it  seems  to  some  of  the  passengers  as 
if  the  vessel  must  go  to  pieces  on  some  rocky  crag.  But 
there  are  some  passengers  who  are  unconcerned.  They 
see  the  captain  on  the  bridge,  untroubled,  though  he  is 
driving  the  vessel  straight  toward  the  cliff,  and  they 
feel  sure  that  all  is  well.  He  must  have  been  that 
way  before,  and  he  knows  that  all  is  well.  Their  faith 
in  him  is  justified,  for  suddenly  the  crag  splits,  and 
a  waterway  is  disclosed  which  leads  into  the  heart  of 
the  mountain." 

It  is  like  that  in  life.  People  have  their  times  of  dis- 
tress and  dismay,  when  they  feel  that  all  is  going 
wrong,  and  that  there  is  no  possible  escape  for  them. 
Then  suddenly  the  way  is  disclosed ;  they  are  at  peace, 
and  they  wonder  at  their  dismay.  Faith  enables  them 
to  trust  that  all  will  be  well,  while  they  are  doing  their 

63 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

best.  That  trust  is  reasonable,  provided  it  is  trust  in 
God,  who  is  all-powerful  to  keep  his  people  in  time  of 
need. 

Some  one  has  told  of  two  children  who  were  stand- 
ing by  the  window,  watching  the  hunter's  moon  come 
up  in  all  her  wonderful  splendor.  *'  Sister,  I  see  God 
right  through  that  moon,"  said  the  boy.  The  little 
sister  was  a  practical  maiden,  and  exclaimed  in  horror, 
**  Why,  you  know  you  can't.  That's  a  wrong  story; 
you  know  it  is."  Poor  little  brother  was  shocked,  too, 
for  a  bit.  He  rallied  himself,  however,  to  ask  in  a  pity- 
ing tone,  "  Sister,  can't  you  see  anything  except  with 
your  eyes?"  ''  No,  I  can't,  and  you  can't  either.  You 
know  you  can't."  There  is  where  the  difficulty  lies. 
So  many  can't  see  anything  "  except  with  their  eyes," 
and  in  their  limited  vision  try  to  impose  the  conditions 
of  their  poverty  upon  those  about  them. 

Whittier  impressed  that  lesson  when  he  wrote : 


Soon  or  late  to  all  our  dwellings  come  the  spectres  of  the 
mind, 

Doubts  and  fears  and  dread  forebodings  in  the  darkness  un- 
defined ; 

Round  us  throng  the  grim  projections  of  the  heart  and  of 
the  brain, 

And  our  pride  of  strength  is  weakness,  and  the  cunning  hand 
is  vain. 

In  the  dark  we  cry  like  children;   and  no  answer  from  on 

high 
Breaks   the   crystal   spheres   of   silence,   and  no   white   wings 

downward  fly. 
But  the  heavenly  help  we  pray  for  comes  to   faith  and  not 

to  sight, 
And  our  prayers  themselves  drive  backward  all  the  spirits  of 

the  night. 


64 


XIII 

THE  SECRET  OF  SERENITY 

rAR.  FRANCIS  L.  PATTON  has  said:  "When 
^^  the  elevated  railroad  was  first  started  in  New 
York,  the  people  were  a  little  timid  about  riding  on  it, 
so  the  proprietors  of  the  road  took  great  pleasure  in 
notifying  the  public  of  the  fact  that  this  road  had  been 
subjected  to  a  most  abnormal  and  enormous  tonnage, 
and  that  consequently  people  of  ordinary  weight  might 
deem  themselves  quite  safe  in  traveling  over  that  road. 
I  feel  the  same  way  about  the  Christ,  that  I  can  take 
my  way  to  heaven  above  the  din  and  dust  of  daily  life, 
because  this  elevated  road  has  had  all  the  world  upon 
it  for  twenty  centuries,  and  has  given  no  sign  of  in- 
stability." 

That  is  the  secret  of  serenity :  complete  faith  and 
trust  in  God,  the  faith  and  trust  that  know  that  all  is 
well  because  God  is  God  and  God  is  good,  and  he  is  the 
good  God  of  those  who  trust  in  him. 

Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Sangster  once  told  of  one  of  her 
friends  who  bore  up  under  a  great  trial  with  such  sweet 
serenity  that  her  friends  marveled : 

"  She  told  me  that  day,  as  we  talked,  by  the  fire,  how 
she  had  gone  by  herself  when  her  peril  was  first  made 
known  to  her,  and  had  decided  that  it  was  not  just  then 
needful  to  lay  another  burden  of  pain  on  the  heart  of 

6s 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

her  mother.  She  had  kept  to  herself,  at  first,  all  that 
the  physician  had  told  her,  and  in  communion  with  her 
Saviour  had  found  strength,  wisdom,  and  patience. 
Later  it  had  been  her  duty  to  let  her  knowledge  be 
shared  by  others,  her  home  people  and  a  few  intimate 
friends;  but  she  had  spoken  of  it  so  lightly  and  ac- 
cepted it  so  bravely  that  she  had  lulled  to  rest  their 
anxiety  on  her  behalf.  '  I  know,'  she  said  to  me  that 
afternoon,  '  that  this  life  of  mine  must  be  short,  and 
that  the  end  may  come  suddenly  at  any  time.  Often 
when  I  lie  down  at  night  I  wonder  whether  the  waken- 
ing will  be  here  or  yonder,  and  in  the  morning  when 
I  open  my  eyes  and  see  the  familiar  room,  I  am  glad 
to  stay  a  little  longer  with  those  I  love.  I  have  made 
it  a  rule  to  spend  the  first  half  hour  of  each  day  with 
the  Master  in  prayer  for  one  and  another,  and  among 
the  names  I  often  mention  to  him  are  those  who  are 
carrying  the  heaviest  load  of  care  or  whom  I  love  most 
dearly.'  " 

This  serenity  comes  to  all  those  who  learn  to  talk  to 
God  and  listen  to  hear  his  messages  given  to  them  as 
they  read  the  Bible;  and  this  serenity  cannot  be  dis- 
turbed for  long  by  any  circumstance  unless  they  forget 
these  things.  It  is  with  them  as  it  was  with  the  woman 
of  whom  George  MacDonald  wrote  in  one  of  his  novels. 
A  friend  was  trying  to  show  her  that  her  faith  was 
not  well  grounded,  as  he  said: 

"  But  if  you  had  sons  at  sea,  it  would  not  be  of 
much  good  to  you  to  feel  safe  yourself  so  long  as  they 
were  in  danger." 

''  Oh,  yes,  it  be,  sir.  What's  the  good  of  feeling 
safe  yourself,  but  it  let  you  know  other  people  be  safe, 

66 


THE  SECRET  OF  SERENITY 

too?  It's  when  you  don't  feel  safe  yourself  that  you 
feel  other  people  be  n't  safe." 

"  But  some  of  your  sons  were  drowned,  for  all  that 
you  say  about  safety." 

"  Well,  sir,"  she  answered  with  a  sigh,  "  I  trust  they 
are  none  the  less  safe  for  that.  It  would  be  a  strange 
thing  for  an  old  woman  like  me  to  suppose  that  safety 
lay  in  not  being  drowned.  .  .  .  What  is  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  sir?  " 

''  The  hollow  of  his  hand,"  I  said,  and  said  no 
more. 

Spurgeon  thus  put  the  truth  in  homely  phrase: 

"  When  troubles  come  it  is  no  use  to  fly  in  the  face 
of  God  by  hard  thoughts  of  Providence — that  is,  kick- 
ing against  the  pricks  and  hurting  your  feet.  The 
trees  bow  in  the  wind,  and  so  must  we.  Every  time 
the  sheep  bleats  it  loses  a  mouthful;  and  every  time  we 
complain  we  miss  a  blessing.  Grumbling  is  a  bad 
trade  and  yields  no  profit;  but  patience  has  a  golden 
hand.  Our  evils  will  soon  be  over.  After  rain  comes 
clear  shining;  black  crows  have  wings;  every  winter 
turns  to  spring;  every  night  breaks  into  morning. 
If  one  door  be  shut,  God  will  open  another;  if  the 
peas  do  not  yield  well,  the  beans  may;  yon  hen  leaves 
her  eggs,  another  will  bring  out  all  her  brood;  there 
is  a  bright  side  to  all  things  and  a  good  God  every- 
where. Somewhere  or  other  in  the  worst  flood  of 
trouble  there  always  is  a  dry  spot  for  contentment  to 
get  its  foot  on,  and  if  there  were  not,  it  would  learn 
to  swim." 


67 


XIV 

FROM  MOHAMMED  TO  CHRIST 

TN  the  fall  of  1910  the  Superintendent  of  the  Nile 
•*•  Mission  Press,  in  Egypt,  was  praying  that  God 
would  send  him  a  converted  Moslem  who  would  act 
as  his  literary  helper. 

Early  in  191 1  the  prayer  was  answered  in  the  com- 
ing of  an  Arab  sheik  whose  remarkable  story  has 
been  told  by  Arthur  T.  Upson,^  the  man  who  made 
the  prayer. 

The  sheik  was  the  son  of  a  well-to-do  man,  and 
was  born  on  the  island  of  Aradu.  He  was  given  every 
opportunity  to  receive  a  thorough  education  in  accord- 
ance with  the  customs  of  his  people.  But,  being  an 
independent  thinker,  he  was  not  content  to  receive  with- 
out inquiry  and  investigation  the  tenets  of  the  Moham- 
medan religion  as  these  were  made  known  to  him.  Be- 
ing dissatisfied  with  the  dogmas  to  which  his  people 
had  been  accustomed,  he  turned  from  them  and  began 
to  make  investigation  elsewhere.  One  day  he  heard  a 
street  preacher  in  Beirut  give  the  invitation  to  those 
that  are  heavy  laden  to  come  to  Christ. 

Fearing  that  the  sheik  would  become  a  Christian, 
his  father  pleaded  with  him  to  be  faithful  to  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Koran.  A  company  of  sheiks  visited  him 
at  his  home  and  searched  the  box  in  which  he  kept  his 
^  In  "  The  Missionary  Review  of  the  World." 

68 


FROM  MOHAMMED  TO  CHRIST 

books.  One  of  them  was  a  Bible,  which  was  taken. 
The  covers  were  torn  off,  it  was  soaked  in  paraffin, 
and  then  burned. 

To  his  sorrow,  the  young  man  yielded  to  the  threats 
of  those  who  declared  that  unless  he  denied  his  Chris- 
tianity he  would  not  be  allowed  to  see  his  father  and 
his  friends. 

For  a  long  time  he  wavered  between  the  two  re- 
ligions.   Often  he  made  the  prayer : 

"  Oh,  God,  I  turn  to  thee  from  error.  I  wash  my- 
self in  the  blood  of  the  Redeemer,  and  I  know  that 
thou  dost  receive  my  repentance.  Establish  the  faith 
in  my  heart  and  make  it  grow.  Sanctify  it,  that  it 
may  be  a  dwelling  place  for  thee,  and  graciously  guide 
the  wandering  lambs  to  the  right  fold  of  thy  holiness. 
Lead  my  brother  Moslems  to  the  right  path.    Amen." 

The  day  came  when  he  surrendered  finally  to  God. 
From  a  friend  he  secured  another  copy  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. Fearing  that  he  would  not  be  permitted  to  wor- 
ship God  in  his  own  land,  he  asked  a  Greek  priest  to 
baptize  him,  purposing  to  leave  at  once  for  a  safe 
haven.  But  his  plans  were  interrupted  by  his  arrest, 
on  the  charge  that  he  had  become  a  Christian. 

As  the  police  led  him  through  the  streets,  a  fanatical 
mob  cried  out  for  his  blood,  but  he  was  not  disturbed. 
He  says: 

"  I  waited  a  moment  to  ask  power  from  God,  and 
courage.  At  that  moment  my  sadness  was  changed 
into  joy,  my  depression  into  gladness,  and  my  weak- 
ness into  strength.  ...  All  the  way  I  was  praising 
God  for  the  tranquillity  he  was  giving  me." 

Word  of  the  arrest  was  sent  to  Constantinople,  and 

69 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

Sultan  Abdul-Hamid  ordered  that  he  be  sent  back  to 
his  native  town,  and  not  be  allowed  to  leave  without 
permission. 

At  home,  he  was  confined  closely  to  his  father's 
house.  His  Bible  was  destroyed.  He  became  so  weak 
that  a  physician  was  sent  for.  To  him,  a  Christian, 
the  plea  was  made  for  a  Bible,  and  this  was  brought 
to  him. 

After  some  months  the  writing  of  a  poem  in  praise 
of  an  official  who  stood  high  in  favor  with  the  Sultan 
brought  about  his  release.  Going  to  Damascus,  he 
joined  the  Young  Turks,  his  purpose  being  to  secure 
religious  liberty  for  himself  and  others  like  himself. 
But  he  soon  found  that  his  political  associations  re- 
acted unfavorably  on  his  Christian  life,  and  he  re- 
gretted the  step  he  had  taken. 

After  a  year  or  two  he  went  to  Latakia,  where  his 
wife  and  son  followed  him.  There  he  opened  a  pri- 
mary school.  He  was  at  Latakia  when  the  political 
trouble  culminated  in  the  deposition  of  Sultan  Abdul- 
Hamid  and  the  accession  of  Sultan  Mohammed  the 
Fifth. 

Christians  were  in  special  danger  during  this  time 
of  uprising  and  change.  The  sheik  learned  of  one 
plot  against  them  and  earned  the  gratitude  of  the 
Bishop  of  the  Orthodox  Greeks  by  warning  him  of  the 
danger  of  his  people.  Then  he  was  able  to  call  on 
the  ambassadors  of  the  various  European  Powers  for 
aid,  and  the  danger  was  averted. 

But  the  enemies  of  the  sheik  determined  to  pun- 
ish him.  They  made  false  accusations  against  him, 
and  succeeded  in  having  him  arrested.     The  officers 

70 


FROM  MOHAMMED  TO  CHRIST 

came  for  him  at  the  dinner  hour  in  the  school  of  which 
he  was  the  teacher.  He  was  not  informed  of  the 
charge  against  him,  but  was  dragged  away  from  his 
wife  and  his  son. 

While  he  was  detained  under  guard,  a  man  whom 
the  sheik  described  as  one  of  the  consuls  sought  him 
and  told  him  he  would  lead  him  out  of  the  room,  as 
a  reward  for  the  information  given  to  the  Bishop  of 
the  intention  of  the  mob  to  kill  the  Christians.  But 
the  sheik  refused  to  permit  the  consul  to  lead  him 
to  safety,  as  he  felt  that  his  conductor's  life  would 
be  in  serious  danger.  "  I  will  rather  be  killed  myself," 
he  said,  "  than  that  a  drop  of  innocent  blood  should  be 
shed.  I  have  surrendered  my  case  to  the  justice  of 
God.    Let  his  will  be  done." 

That  evening  he  was  handcuffed  and  taken  to  a 
steamer,  to  be  carried  to  Beirut.  On  the  steamer 
the  consul  appeared  and  helped  him  secure  from  the 
pocket  of  the  drunken  policeman  who  accompanied  him 
the  letter  to  the  Sultan,  in  which  the  accusation  was 
made  that  he  was  the  one  who  had  incited  the  attack 
on  the  Christians  which  had  failed  by  reason  of  his 
own  information  to  the  Bishop! 

"As  soon  as  I  read  this  letter,"  the  sheik  said, 
in  telling  the  story  of  his  life,  "  and  understood  from 
its  contents  that  it  was  pure  fabrication,  and  having 
trusted  in  God  who  cares  for  his  people,  having  re- 
gard for  his  omniscience  and  his  answer  to  prayer,  I 
knelt  before  God  to  answer  my  prayer  that  he  would 
make  my  case  clear  to  those  in  authority." 

He  was  urged  to  escape  from  the  vessel  at  a  Euro- 
pean port,  as  the  charge  against  him  was  serious,  but 

71 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

he  insisted  that  the  case  '*  was  a  simple  one  by  the  help 
of  God." 

At  Beirut  he  made  a  friend  of  the  magistrate,  who 
was  convinced  of  his  innocence.  Regretfully  the 
magistrate  said  he  could  not  release  him,  as  he  wished 
to  do,  for  word  had  already  been  sent  of  the  prisoner's 
coming  to  Constantinople. 

In  speaking  of  the  kindness  shown  him  by  this 
man,  the  sheik  said :  "  He  was  a  humane  man,  but  do 
not  forget  that  God  is  the  most  just  and  the  most  mer- 
ciful, and  since  he  is  merciful  to  those  who  trust  in 
him,  he  clears  the  way  for  them,  especially  if  the 
trusting  one  should  be  suffering  injury." 

A  few  hours  after  his  arrival  at  Constantinople  he 
was  triumphantly  acquitted  and  released.  He  hurried 
to  Beirut,  and  from  there  went  to  his  birthplace.  A 
message  was  sent  to  his  family  to  join  him  there  as 
soon  as  possible.  They  had  been  suffering  much  per- 
secution at  the  hands  of  the  enemies  who  had  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  about  his  arrest. 

As  soon  as  possible,  he  went  to  Egypt,  taking  with 
him  his  son.  There  he  found  employment  in  the  Nile 
Mission  Press.  While  he  was  absent  from  his  room, 
seeking  work,  his  son  was  persuaded  to  leave  home  by 
those  who  hated  the  father  for  his  Christian  faith.  A 
forged  paper  was  shown  the  boy  which  purported  to 
be  a  confession  signed  by  his  father,  as  follows : 

"  When  all  means  of  livelihood  were  shut  in  my  face 
wherever  I  went  among  the  Moslems,  and  I  found 
no  possibility  of  earning  a  living  except  by  pretending 
to  become  a  Christian,  and  when  the  Christians  made 
me  hear  the  chink  of  coins  and  said,  '  Declare  your 

^2 


FROM  MOHAMMED  TO  CHRIST 

belief  in  the  Trinity  and  take  the  money,'  I  said,  *  Give 
me  the  money,  and  if  you  wish  I  will  not  only  triple 
but  quadruple,  for  from  my  early  days  I  have  never 
cared  for  any  religion  at  all !  " 

The  paper  was  read  to  him  by  the  man  who  had 
fabricated  it.  The  man  pretended  sorrow  for  his  deed 
and  asked  him  to  enter  his  house.  The  invitation  was 
refused,  for  the  sheik  recalled  the  teaching  of  the 
Koran,  ''  Whosoever  changeth  his  religion,  kill  him." 

"  Then  I  left  him  in  haste,  asking  God  to  protect 
me,"  the  persecuted  Christian  says. 

After  his  baptism  the  sheiks  approached  him  once 
more  with  all  sorts  of  trials.  He  took  away  their 
breath  by  saying  to  them : 

*'  The  happiest  and  most  blessed  hour  of  my  life  will 
be  the  time  in  which  I  am  killed — a  martyr;  for  I 
shall  then  go  straight  to  heaven,  to  be  with  Christ  in 
the  eternal  glory.  I  do  not  think,  however,  that  God 
will  allow  you  to  do  this,  for  it  is  his  purpose  that  I 
should  serve  the  Moslems  while  a  Christian,  even  as 
I  used  to  serve  them  while  a  Moslem." 

When  the  runaway  son  arrived  in  Syria,  some  of 
those  to  whom  he  gave  the  word  that  his  father  had 
become  a  Christian  wrote  to  ask  the  sheik  his  rea- 
sons for  taking  the  step.  In  reply,  he  wrote  out  a  Con- 
fession of  Faith,  which  he  printed  and  sent  to  those 
who  had  written  to  him. 

His  wife  wrote  to  ask  for  traveling  expenses.  She 
said  she  wished  to  come  to  him.  But  when  she  tried 
to  leave  home,  she  was  prevented.  When  the  sheik 
learned  of  this,  he  asked  Christian  friends  to  pray 
with  him  that  he  might  have  his  wife  and  son  with  him 

73 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

once  more.  The  united  prayers  so  strengthened  his 
faith  that  when  his  wife  asked  him  a  second  time  for 
expense  money,  he  sent  it  to  her.  This  time  she  was 
able  to  go  to  him,  with  her  son. 

In  closing  his  story  this  convert  from  Mohammedan- 
ism said: 

"  As  for  my  family,  my  wife  now  believes  that 
Christ  is  the  greatest  of  all  the  prophets,  and  she  has 
seen  already  many  answers  to  her  prayers  asked  in  his 
name.  May  God  continue  his  work  in  her  heart  by  his 
great  grace,  that  her  faith  may  be  built  upon  a  firm 
foundation.  My  boy  ran  away  to  Syria  on  two  occa- 
sions, but  I  trust  that  God  will  prevent  its  happening 
again.  At  present  he  is  learning  the  trade  of  carpen- 
tering.    God  is  able  to  guide  him  to  himself. 

"  I  ask  our  gracious  God,  in  the  name  of  our  be- 
loved Saviour,  to  keep  us  steadfast  in  the  true  faith, 
that  grace  may  grow  in  our  hearts  more  and  more,  that 
we  may  be  enabled  to  save  many  of  our  fellow  men  for 
the  holy  kingdom  of  him  who  is  the  Way,  the  Truth, 
and  the  Life.     Amen." 


74 


XV 

IN  SCHOOL  WITH  CHRIST 

"ITT'HEN  J.  Hudson  Taylor,  the  founder  of  the 
^^  China  Inland  Mission,  decided  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  his  life  work,  he  planned  to  prepare  for  it 
not  only  by  taking  a  medical  course,  but  by  accus- 
toming himself  to  hardness  and  economy,  so  that  he 
might  be  able  to  bear  with  grace  the  trying  conditions 
of  the  life  before  him. 

But,  as  he  proposed  to  go  out  in  dependence  on  God 
alone  for  protection,  supplies,  and  help  of  every  kind, 
he  felt  that  his  spiritual  muscles  required  strengthen- 
ing for  such  an  undertaking. 

''  There  was  no  doubt,"  he  said,^  "  that  if  faith  did 
not  fail,  God  would  not  fail;  but,  then,  what  if  one's 
faith  should  prove  insufficient  ?  I  had  not  at  that  time 
learned  that  even  '  if  we  believe  not,  he  abideth  faith- 
ful, he  cannot  deny  himself  ' ;  and  it  was  consequently 
a  very  serious  question  to  my  mind,  not  whether  he 
was  faithful,  but  whether  I  had  strong  enough  faith 
to  warrant  my  embarking  in  the  enterprise  set  be- 
fore me. 

''  I  thought  to  myself,  '  When  I  get  out  to  China, 
I  shall  have  no  claim  on  anyone  for  anything;  my  only 
claim  will  be  on  God.     How  important,  therefore,  to 

'In  "A  Retrospect." 

75 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

learn  before  leaving  England  to  move  man,  through 
God,  by  prayer  alone.' 

"  On  settling  up  my  weekly  accounts  one  Saturday 
night,  I  found  myself  possessed  of  only  a  single  coin — 
one  half-crov^n  piece. 

"  That  Sunday  v^as  a  very  happy  one.  As  usual  my 
heart  v^as  full,  and  brimming  over  with  blessing. 
After  attending  Divine  service  in  the  morning,  my 
afternoons  and  evenings  were  filled  with  gospel  work 
in  the  various  lodging  houses  I  was  accustomed  to 
visit  in  the  lowest  part  of  the  town.  At  such  times  it 
almost  seemed  to  me  as  if  heaven  were  begun  below, 
and  that  all  that  could  be  looked  for  was  an  enlarge- 
ment of  one's  capacity  for  joy,  not  a  truer  filling  than 
I  possessed.  After  concluding  my  last  service  about 
ten  o'clock  that  night,  a  poor  man  asked  me  to  go  and 
pray  with  his  wife,  saying  that  she  was  dying.  I 
readily  agreed,  and  on  the  way  to  his  house  asked  him 
why  he  had  not  sent  for  the  priest,  as  his  accent  told 
me  he  was  an  Irishman.  He  had  done  so,  he  said,  but 
the  priest  refused  to  come  without  a  payment  of 
eighteenpence,  which  the  man  did  not  possess,  as  the 
family  was  starving.  Immediately  it  occurred  to  my 
mind  that  all  the  money  I  had  in  the  world  was  the 
solitary  half-crown,  and  that  it  was  in  one  coin;  more- 
over, that  while  the  basin  of  water  gruel  I  usually 
took  for  supper  was  awaiting  me,  and  there  was  suffi- 
cient in  the  house  for  breakfast  in  the  morning,  I  cer- 
tainly had  nothing  for  dinner  on  the  coming  day. 

"  Somehow  or  other  there  was  at  once  a  stoppage  in 
the  flow  of  joy  in  my  heart;  but  instea4  of  reproving 
myself  I  began  to  reprove  the  poor  man,  telling  him 

76 


IN  SCHOOL  WITH  CHRIST 

that  it  was  very  wrong  to  have  allowed  matters  to  get 
into  such  a  state  as  he  described,  and  that  he  ought  to 
have  applied  to  the  relieving  officer.  His  answer  was 
that  he  had  done  so,  and  was  told  to  cpme  at  eleven 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  but  that  he  feared  his  wife 
might  not  live  through  the  night.  *  Ah,'  thought  I, 
'  if  only  I  had  two  shillings  and  a  sixpence  instead 
of  this  half-crown,  how  gladly  would  I  give  these  poor 
people  one  shilling  of  it ! '  But  to  part  with  the  half- 
crown  was  far  from  my  thoughts.  I  little  dreamed 
that  the  real  truth  of  the  matter  simply  was  that  I 
could  trust  in  God  plus  one-and-sixpence,  but  that 
I  was  not  yet  prepared  to  trust  him  only,  without  any 
money  at  all  in  my  pocket. 

"  My  conductor  led  me  into  a  court,  down  which  I 
followed  him  with  some  degree  of  nervousness.  I 
had  found  myself  there  before,  and  at  my  last  visit 
had  been  very  roughly  handled,  while  my  tracts  were 
torn  to  pieces,  and  I  received  such  a  warning  not  to 
come  again  that  I  felt  more  than  a  little  concerned. 
Still,  it  was  the  path  of  duty,  and  I  followed  on.  Up 
a  miserable  flight  of  stairs,  into  a  wretched  room,  he 
led  me;  and  oh,  what  a  sight  there  presented  itself  to 
our  eyes !  Four  or  five  poor  children  stood  about,  their 
sunken  cheeks  and  temples  all  telling  unmistakably  the 
story  of  slow  starvation;  and  lying  on  a  wretched  pal- 
let was  a  poor  exhausted  mother,  with  a  tiny  infant 
thirty-six  hours  old,  moaning  rather  than  crying  at 
her  side,  for  it  too  seemed  spent  and  failing.  '  Ah,' 
thought  I,  'if  I  had  two  shillings  and  a  sixpence  in- 
stead of  half-a-crown,  how  gladly  should  they  have 
one-and-sixpence  of  it ! '     But  still  a  wretched  unbe- 

77 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

lief  prevented  me  from  obeying  the  impulse  to  relieve 
their  distress  at  the  cost  of  all  I  possessed. 

"  It  will  scarcely  seem  strange  that  I  was  unable  to 
say  much  to  comfort  these  poor  people.  I  needed  com- 
fort myself.  I  began  to  tell  them,  however,  that  they 
must  not  be  cast  down,  that  though  their  circumstances 
were  very  distressing,  there  was  a  kind  and  loving 
Father  in  heaven;  but  something  within  me  said,  '  You 
hypocrite!  telling  these  unconverted  people  about  a 
kind  and  loving  Father  in  heaven,  and  not  prepared 
yourself  to  trust  him  without  half-a-crown ! '  I  was 
nearly  choked.  How  gladly  would  I  have  compro- 
mised with  conscience  if  I  had  had  a  florin  and  a  six- 
pence! I  would  have  given  the  florin  thankfully  and 
kept  the  rest;  but  I  was  not  yet  prepared  to  trust  in 
God  alone,  without  the  sixpence. 

''  To  talk  was  impossible  under  these  circumstances; 
yet,  strange  to  say,  I  thought  I  should  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  praying.  Prayer  was  a  delightful  occupation 
to  me  in  those  days;  time  thus  spent  never  seemed 
wearisome,  and  I  knew  nothing  of  lack  of  words.  I 
seemed  to  think  that  all  I  should  have  to  do  would  be 
to  kneel  down  and  engage  in  prayer,  and  that  relief 
would  come  to  them  and  to  myself  together.  ^  You 
asked  me  to  come  and  pray  with  your  wife,'  I  said  to 
the  man;  *  let  us  pray.'  And  I  knelt  down.  But 
scarcely  had  I  opened  my  lips  with  '  Our  Father  who 
art  in  heaven '  than  conscience  said  within,  *  Dare  you 
mock  God  ?  Dare  you  kneel  down  and  call  him  Father 
with  that  half-crown  in  your  pocket? '  Such  a  time  of 
conflict  came  upon  me  then  as  I  have  never  experienced 
before  or  since.     How  I  got  through  that  form  of 

78 


IN  SCHOOL  WITH  CHRIST 

prayer  I  know  not,  and  whether  the  words  uttered  were 
connected  or  disconnected  I  cannot  tell;  but  I  arose 
from  my  knees  in  great  distress  of  mind. 

"  The  poor  father  turned  to  me  and  said,  '  You  see 
what  a  terrible  state  we  are  in,  sir;  if  you  can  help  us, 
for  God's  sake  do.'  Just  then  the  word  flashed  into 
my  mind,  '  Give  to  him  that  asketh  of  thee,'  and  in  the 
word  of  a  King  there  is  power.  I  put  my  hand  into 
my  pocket,  and  slowly  drawing  forth  the  half-crown, 
gave  it  to  the  man,  telling  him  that  it  might  seem  a 
small  matter  for  me  to  relieve  them,  seeing  that  I  was 
comparatively  well  off,  but  that  in  parting  with  that 
coin  I  was  giving  him  my  all ;  what  I  had  been  trying 
to  tell  him  was  indeed  true — God  really  was  a  Father, 
and  might  be  trusted.  The  joy  all  came  back  in  full 
flood  tide  to  my  heart;  I  could  say  anything  and  feel 
it  then,  and  the  hindrance  to  blessing  was  gone — gone, 
I  trust,  forever. 

"  Not  only  was  the  poor  woman's  life  saved,  but  I 
realized  that  my  life  was  saved  too!  It  might  have 
been  a  wreck — would  have  been  a  wreck  probably,  as 
a  Christian  life — had  not  grace  at  that  time  conquered, 
and  the  striving  of  God's  Spirit  been  obeyed.  I  well 
remember  how  that  night,  as  I  went  home  to  my  lodg- 
ings, my  heart  was  as  light  as  my  pocket.  The  lonely, 
deserted  streets  resounded  with  a  hymn  of  praise  which 
I  could  not  restrain.  When  I  took  my  basin  of  gruel 
before  retiring,  I  would  not  have  exchanged  it  for  a 
prince's  feast.  I  reminded  the  Lord  as  I  knelt  at  my 
bedside  of  his  own  Word,  that  he  who  giveth  to  the 
poor  lendeth  to  the  Lord;  I  asked  him  not  to  let  my 
loan  be  a  long  one,  or  I  should  have  no  dinner  next 

79 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

day ;  and  with  peace  within  and  peace  without,  I  spent 
a  happy,  restful  night. 

"  Next  morning  for  breakfast  my  plate  of  por- 
ridge remained,  and  before  it  was  consumed  the  post- 
man's knock  was  heard  at  the  door.  I  was  not  in  the 
habit  of  receiving  letters  on  Monday,  as  my  parents 
and  most  of  my  friends  refrained  from  posting  on 
Saturday;  so  that  I  was  somewhat  surprised  when  the 
landlady  came  in  holding  a  letter  or  packet  in  her  wet 
hand  covered  by  her  apron.  I  looked  at  the  letter,  but 
could  not  make  out  the  handwriting.  It  was  either 
a  strange  hand  or  a  feigned  one,  and  the  postmark  was 
blurred.  Where  it  came  from  I  could  not  tell.  On 
opening  the  envelope  I  found  nothing  written  within; 
but  inside  a  sheet  of  blank  paper  was  folded  a  pair 
of  kid  gloves,  from  which,  as  I  opened  them  in  aston- 
ishment, half-a-sovereign  fell  to  the  ground.  '  Praise 
the  Lord ! '  I  exclaimed ;  '  four  hundred  per  cent,  for 
twelve  hours'  investment ;  that  is  good  interest.  How 
glad  the  merchants  of  Hull  would  be  if  they  could 
lend  their  money  at  such  a  rate ! '  I  then  and  there 
determined  that  a  bank  which  could  not  break  should 
have  my  savings  or  earnings,  as  the  case  might  be — a 
determination  I  have  not  yet  learned  to  regret." 

In  concluding  the  story  Mr.  Taylor  added :  "  I  cannot 
tell  you  how  often  my  mind  has  recurred  to  this  inci- 
dent, or  all  the  help  it  has  been  to  me  in  circumstances 
of  difficulty  in  after  life.  If  we  are  faithful  to  God 
in  little  things,  we  shall  gain  experience  and  strength 
that  will  be  helpful  to  us  in  the  more  serious  trials  of 
life." 

Another  lesson  in  faith  was  learned  years  later  when 
80 


IN  SCHOOL  WITH  CHRIST 

he  was  planning  to  go  to  China  with  other  missionaries 
who  had  volunteered  in  answer  to  prayer.  AppHca- 
tion  was  made  to  the  leading  missionary  societies  to 
undertake  the  support  of  the  company,  but  in  vain. 
Some  friends  told  him  this  meant  that  he  must  delay 
his  departure.  However,  he  felt  he  must  go  at  once, 
as  the  need  was  great.  Then  he  thought,  "  If  you 
see  these  matters  more  clearly  than  others,  why  not  go 
forward  yourself  and  trust  God  to  accomplish  his  pur- 
pose through  you?    What  is  to  hinder?" 

What  followed  is  told  by  Marshall  Broomhall,^  quot- 
ing Mr.  Taylor. 

*'  I  saw  that  in  answer  to  prayer  the  workers  needed 
would  certainly  be  given,  and  their  support  secured 
because  asked  for  in  the  precious  name  of  Jesus, 
which  is  worthy;  but  there  a  trembling  unbelief 
crept  in. 

'' '  Suppose  that  workers  are  given,'  I  asked  myself 
doubtfully,  '  and  that  they  succeed  even  in  reaching  in- 
land China;  what  then?  Trials  will  surely  come;  such 
conflicts,  perhaps,  as  they  have  never  dreamed  of  at 
home.  Their  faith  may  fail,  and  they  may  even  be 
tempted  to  reproach  one  for  having  brought  them  into 
such  a  plight.  Have  I  strength  and  ability  to  cope  with 
such  difficulties  as  these  ?  ' 

"And  the  answer,  of  course,  was  always  *No!' 
It  was  just  a  bringing  in  of  self  through  unbelief, 
the  devil  getting  one  to  feel  that,  while  prayer  and 
faith  might  lead  one  into  the  dilemma,  one  would  be 
left  to  get  out  of  it  as  best  one  might.  And  I  failed 
entirely  to  see  that  the  Power  that  would  give  the 

'  In  "  Faith  and  Facts." 

8i 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

laborers  would  be  sufficient  also  to  sustain  them,  under 
any  circumstances,  no  matter  how  trying/' 

''  Week  after  week  the  conflict  went  on,  until  at  last 
the  pressure  upon  mind  and  soul  became  so  intense  that 
sleep  forsook  him,  and  it  seemed  as  if  reason  itself 
must  fail.    Rest  was  impossible  day  or  night." 

"  How  inconsistent  unbelief  always  is,"  Mr.  Taylor 
continues.  "  I  had  no  doubt  that  if  I  prayed  for 
fellow  workers  they  would  be  given  me.  I  had  no 
doubt  that  in  answer  to  prayer  the  means  for  going 
forth  would  also  be  supplied,  and  that  doors  would  be 
opened  before  us  in  unreached  parts  of  the  Empire. 
But  I  had  not  then  learned  to  trust  God  fully  for  keep- 
ing power  and  grace  for  myself,  so  it  was  not  much  to 
be  wondered  at  that  I  found  a  difficulty  in  trusting 
him  to  keep  any  others  who  might  be  led  to  go  out 
with  me." 

*'  Summer  succeeded  spring,  and  by  this  time  the 
burden  upon  his  mind  began  seriously  to  affect  Mr. 
Taylor's  health,"  Mr.  Broomhall  added.  ''  Mr.  George 
Pearse,  seeing  how  worn  and  weary  Mr.  Taylor  was 
looking,  pressed  him  to  come  down  to  Brighton  and 
take  a  rest  by  the  sea.  This  kind  invitation  was  gladly 
accepted,  though  it  seemed  more  than  doubtful  whether 
the  change  of  scene  would  bring  any  relief  of  heart. 

"  Sunday  morning  came,  June  25,  and  to  the  music 
of  bells,  borne  far  and  wide  upon  the  peaceful  air,  hun- 
dreds of  happy  churchgoers  thronged  the  quiet  streets. 
But  there  was  one  burdened  soul  that  could  not  join 
the  multitudes  on  their  way  to  the  house  of  God.  The 
all-absorbing  realization  in  Mr.  Taylor's  mind,  that 
seemed  to  darken  with  its  shadow  every  thought  of 

82 


IN  SCHOOL  WITH  CHRIST 

brighter  things,  was  still  that  of  the  need  of  the  vast 
land  to  which  his  life  was  given. 

''  In  distress  of  mind  that  seemed  to  have  reached 
its  climax,  he  left  the  quiet  house  and  went  down  the 
hill  to  the  forsaken  beach.  It  was  a  lovely  summer 
morning;  the  tide  was  out;  and  far  away  upon  the 
silent  sands  he  met  the  crisis  of  his  life,  alone  with 
God. 

"  At  first  there  was  no  light,  and  the  conflict  was 
intense.  The  only  ray  of  comfort  he  could  obtain  was 
from  the  strange  reflection : '  Well,  if  God,  in  answer  to 
prayer,  does  give  a  band  of  men  for  inland  China,  and 
they  go  and  reach  those  distant  regions,  and  if  the 
worst  should  come  to  the  worst,  and  they  all  die  of 
starvation  even,  they  will  all  go  straight  to  heaven; 
and  if  only  one  heathen  soul  is  saved  it  would  be 
well  worth  while.'  But  the  thought  was  agony;  for 
still  he  could  not  see  that  God,  if  he  gave  the  laborers, 
would  be  sure  to  keep  them,  even  in  inland  China. 

"  All  at  once,  however,  came  the  further  thought : 
*  Why  burdened  thus?  If  you  are  simply  obeying 
God,  all  the  responsibility  must  rest  with  him,  and 
not  with  you.' 

** '  Very  well,'  was  the  immediate,  glad  reply ;  *  thou, 
Lord,  shalt  be  responsible  for  them,  and  for  me  too! ' 
And  the  burden  from  that  moment  was  all  gone. 

**  Then  and  there  Mr.  Taylor  surrendered  himself 
to  God  for  this  service,  and  lifted  up  his  heart  in 
prayer  for  fellow  laborers — two  for  each  of  the  inland 
provinces,  and  two  for  Mongolia.  His  Bible  was  in 
his  hand;  and  there  upon  the  margin  of  the  precious 
volume  he  at  once  recorded  the  momentous  transaction 

83 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

that  had  taken  place  between  his  soul  and  God.  Few 
and  simple  are  the  words  he  uses ;  but  oh,  how  full  of 
meaning ! 

'* '  Prayed  for  twenty- four  willing,  skillful  laborers, 
at  Brighton,  June  25,  1865. 

"  '  How  restfully  I  turned  away  from  the  shore,'  he 
adds, '  when  this  was  done.  The  conflict  was  all  ended. 
Peace  and  gladness  filled  my  soul.'  " 


84 


FOUR 
THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  FAITH 


85 


Fain  would  I  hold  my  lamp  of  life  aloft, 
Like  yonder  tower  built  high  above  the  reef  ; 

Steadfast,  though  tempests  rave  or  winds  blow  soft, 
Clear,  though  the  sky  dissolve  in  tears  of  grief. 

For  darkness  passes;  storms  shall  not  abide. 

A  little  patience,  and  the  fog  is  past. 
After  the  sorrow  of  the  ebbing  tide, 

The  singing  flood  returns  in  joy  at  last. 

The  night  is  long,  and  pain  weighs  heavily; 

But  God  will  hold  his  world  above  despair. 
Look  to  the  east,  where  up  the  lucid  sky 

The  morning  climbs !    The  day  shall  yet  be  fair. 

— Celia  Thaxter. 


86 


XVI 

IN  TIME  OF  DOUBT 

^T^HERE  are  those  who  claim  to  have  faith  in  God, 
"■-  yet  deny  the  faith  by  an  attitude  of  doubt  and 
fear.  Faith  that  is  worthy  the  name  puts  an  end  to 
fear. 

When  John  Bunyan  wrote  of  the  experience  of  the 
pilgrim  of  his  dream,  who,  wearied  and  sleeping  by 
the  wayside,  was  captured  by  Giant  Despair  and  im- 
prisoned in  Doubting  Castle,  from  which  he  escaped 
only  with  great  difficulty,  he  was  picturing  the  experi- 
ence of  every  Christian  who  permits  himself  to  be  a 
slave  to  his  doubts. 

He  had  himself  learned  the  bitter  sorrow  caused  by 
such  doubts,  for  in  his  early  Christian  life  he  was  dis- 
turbed by  thoughts  of  his  own  unworthiness.  "  Who 
was  he  that  God  should  care  for  him?  "  his  biographer 
Froude  records  his  thoughts.  ''  He  fancied  that  he 
heard  God  saying  to  the  angels :  *  This  poor,  simple 
wretch  doth  hanker  after  me  as  if  I  had  nothing  to 
do  with  my  mercy  but  to  bestow  it  on  such  as  he.  Poor 
fool,  how  art  thou  deceived?  It  is  not  for  such  as 
thee  to  have  favor  with  the  Highest ! '  " 

Of  doubts  which  came  at  a  still  later  period,  Bunyan 
himself  wrote:  "What  floods  of  blasphemies  against 
God,  Christ,  and  the  Scriptures  were  poured  upon  my 
spirit;  questions  against  the  very  being  of  God  and 

87 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

his  only  beloved  Son,  as  whether  there  was  in  truth 
a  God  or  Christ  or  no,  and  whether  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures were  not  rather  a  fable  and  cunning  story  than 
the  holy  and  pure  word  of  God.  '  How  can  you  tell,' 
the  tempter  whispered,  '  but  that  the  Turks  have  as 
good  a  scripture  to  prove  their  Mahomet  the  Saviour 
as  we  have  to  prove  our  Jesus  is  ?  '  Could  I  think  that 
so  many  tens  of  thousands  in  so  many  countries  and 
kingdoms  should  be  without  the  knowledge  of  the  right 
way  to  heaven — if  there  were,  indeed,  a  heaven  and 
that  we  who  lie  in  a  corner  of  the  earth  should  be 
alone  blessed  therewith  ?  Everyone  doth  think  his  own 
religion  the  rightest — both  Jews,  Moors,  and  pagans; 
and  how  if  all  our  faith  and  Christ  and  scripture 
should  be  but  a  '  think  so,'  too  ?  " 

When  Bunyan  was  in  Bedford  jail  because  he  would 
preach  the  gospel,  he  had  a  hard  time,  but  he  did  not 
despair  because  of  it.  Thus  he  had  the  best  possible 
preparation,  when  writing  *'  The  Pilgrim's  Progress," 
for  telling  others  how  to  resist  despondency.  In  fact, 
he  conquered  his  difficulties  by  making  them  serve  his 
purposes.  When  most  men  would  have  be^n  regretting 
the  lost  opportunities  for  active  labor,  he  was  busily 
engaged  in  writing  a  book  which  would  probably  never 
have  seen  the  light  if  it  had  not  been  for  his  mis- 
fortunes. 

In  his  book  he  pictured  the  Slough  of  Despond,  a 
morass  into  which  Christian  fell  while  he  was  on  the 
way  from  the  City  of  Destruction.  Everything  seemed 
against  him  as  he  struggled  in  the  ooze,  and  he  was 
tempted  to  give  up  the  fight.  But  he  struggled  with  his 
difficulties,  and  overcame  them. 

88 


IN  TIME  OF  DOUBT 

The  Slough  of  Despond  lies  in  the  path  of  every 
Christian,  and  they  are  few  who  do  not  fall  into  it. 
The  young  Christian  is  especially  apt  to  give  way  to 
doubts  as  he  asks  himself:  ''I  wonder  if  I  haven't 
undertaken  too  much?"  ''Perhaps  I  have  deceived 
myself,  and  I  am  not  a  Christian  at  all,"  another  thinks. 
*'  My  sins  are  too  great  for  forgiveness,"  is  the  fear  of 
a  third,  while  a  fourth  feels  that  his  circumstances  are 
so  peculiar  that  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  live  a 
Christian  life. 

"  Why  did  you  not  look  for  the  steps  ?  "  Christian 
was  asked  when  the  Slough  was  finally  left  behind  him. 
A  way  had  been  provided  for  him,  but  he  did  not  see  it ; 
he  was  too  heedless.  That  is  the  difficulty  to-day.  The 
descent  into  doubt  and  despondency  comes  because 
of  heedlessness.  A  way  has  been  provided  for  safe 
passage  when  courage  is  faint  and  fears  take  pos- 
session of  the  mind.  The  steps  on  the  way  are  marked 
by  the  promises  and  precepts  of  God's  Word.  So  the 
cure  for  despondency  is  to  be  found  in  turning  to  that 
Word,  or  in  mentally  reviewing  promises  like,  ''  Lo, 
I  am  with  you  always,"  "  I  will  not  leave  you  com- 
fortless," and  '*  When  thou  passest  through  the  waters 
I  will  be  with  thee."  On  these  promises  men  may 
stand  safely,  no  matter  what  the  dangers,  fancied  or 
real,  about  them. 

The  honest  struggler  is  not  left  to  his  own  resources. 
God  is  ever  ready  to  stretch  out  a  helping  hand  to 
those  who  will  own  that  they  are  powerless  themselves. 
The  man  named  Help  was  sent  to  Bunyan's  hero,  and 
help  will  just  as  certainly  be  given  to  everyone  who 
asks  for  it. 

89 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

It  is  perfectly  safe  to  tell  God  all  our  doubts  and 
fears,  but  we  should  be  wary  of  talking  too  much 
about  them  to  others.  It  is  often  easy  to  shake  the 
faith  even  of  those  who  seem  to  be  strong  Christians. 
Shall  we  drag  them  down  with  us  ?  Dare  we  take  the 
risk  ?  The  Psalmist  decided  that  he  could  not.  "  If 
I  had  said,  I  will  speak  thus,  behold  I  had  dealt 
treacherously  with  the  generation  of  thy  children." 
Then  he  suggested  a  safer,  surer  cure.  He  went  to 
the  house  of  God,  and  there  in  prayer  and  praise  his 
doubts  were  all  solved. 

From  the  house  of  God  let  the  doubter  go  out  to 
serve  his  fellows.  "  I  am  losing  my  faith  in  God," 
was  the  plaint  of  a  young  man.  His  wise  pastor 
seemed  to  pay  no  heed  to  his  words ;  he  only  asked  him 
to  keep  an  eye  on  a  boy  who  needed  constant  help  and 
counsel.  A  month  later  the  pastor  asked  the  young 
man,  '^  How  about  your  doubts  now?"  "I  have 
entirely  forgotten  that  I  ever  had  any  doubts,"  was 
the  answer. 

Hannah  Whitall  Smith  once  called  attention  thus  to 
the  fact  that  Bunyan's  doubts,  of  which  he  told  so 
vividly  in  both  biography  and  allegory,  are  known  to 
all:  "  We,  all  of  us,  remember,  doubtless,  our  childish 
fascination,  and  yet  horror,  in  the  story  of  Christian's 
imprisonment  in  Doubting  Castle,  with  the  wicked 
Giant  Despair,  and  our  exultant  sympathy  in  his  escape 
through  those  massive  gates  from  that  cruel  tyrant. 
Little  did  we  suspect  that  we  would  ever  find  ourselves 
taken  prisoner  by  the  same  giant,  and  imprisoned  in 
the  same  castle.  But  I  fear  that  each  one  of  us,  if  we 
were  perfectly  honest,  would  have  to  confess  to  at  least 

90 


IN  TIME  OF  DOUBT 

one  such  experience,  and  some  of  us,  perhaps,  to  a 
great  many." 

It  was  a  favorite  expression  of  D.  L.  Moody  that 
the  cure  for  doubt  is  Christian  work,  ''  for,"  he  said, 
"  the  men  who  work  are  rarely  men  who  doubt." 
When  he  was  asked  what  a  young  man  should  do  who 
believed  that  Jesus  lived  the  ideal  life,  but  doubted  his 
supernatural  origin  and  being,  he  said :  "  Tell  him  to 
put  all  his  time  in  imitation  of  the  life,  and  be  so  busy 
imitating  that  there  will  be  no  time  to  doubt." 

The  way  to  silence  doubts  adopted  by  a  simple- 
minded  country  woman  proved  effective  in  her  case; 
her  example  is  worth  imitating.  To  her  pastor,  who 
greeted  her  one  day,  "  Hoo  is  it  wi'  you  the  day, 
Janet  ? "  she  replied,  *'  The  adversary's  been  at  me 
again."  "  And  what's  he  been  sayin'  to  you  ?  "  "  He's 
been  sayin',  '  It's  a'  a  delusion;  the  Bible  a  tissue  of 
lies :  there  is  no  heaven  an'  no  hell;  there's  no  Saviour; 
it's  a'  a  delusion.'"  "And  what  did  you  answer?" 
"  Ah,  minister,  I  kent  better  than  that.  I  kent  it 
was  nae  use  to  argy  wi'  him;  I  just  referred  him  to  the 
Lord." 

You  have  some  mountain  of  difficulty  in  your  way? 
You  feel  that  it  cannot  be  removed?  Then  you  have 
not  tried  faith.  Have  faith  in  God,  and  you  will  find 
in  your  hands  a  lever  that  will  move  the  world. 

In  every  time  of  doubt  and  temptation,  of  fear  and 
anxiety,  of  grief  and  anguish,  we  may,  if  we  will,  hear 
the  message  of  the  Master,  "  It  is  I;  be  not  afraid." 
The  disciples  heard  it  when  they  were  in  peril  on  the 
sea,  and  their  fears  vanished.  Why  do  we  not  hearken 
as  they  did  ? 

91 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

It  is  said  that  a  poor  colored  woman  was  asked  by 
her  mistress,  ''  Nancy,  suppose  that  you  should  have 
a  spell  of  sickness,  and  be  unable  to  work:  or  sup- 
pose  ''     "  Stop !  "  was  the  eager  reply.     "  I  neber 

supposes.  De  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  and  I  knows  I 
shall  not  want,  and  honey,  it's  all  dem  supposes  as  is 
makin'  you  so  mis'able.  You'd  better  give  dem  all  up, 
and  just  trust  de  Lord." 

Clinton  Scollard  gave  a  needed  lesson  when  he  said : 

Doubt   digged   a    fortress    deep    and    dim, 

Guarded  by  mote  and  ravelin ; 
And,  having  fettered  every  limb, 

He  dungeoned  me  therein. 

Then  victor  Faith's  illumining  star 

Shone  in  upon  my  black  despair, 
And  back  flew  rivet,  bolt  and  bar. 

And  I  was  free  as  air. 


92 


XVII 

THEY  CAUGHT  THE  SHIP 

TN  1901  the  Australian  Council  of  the  China  Inland 
-''  Mission  wished  to  send  a  party  of  seven  missionary 
recruits  from  Sydney.  Not  only  did  they  wish  to  send 
them,  but  they  decided  to  send  them  on  December  17. 
They  felt  that  this  was  what  God  wished  them  to  do, 
and  that  therefore  the  means  would  be  provided.  They 
proposed  to  do  their  part :  their  faith  that  God  would 
do  his  part  was  firm. 

The  story  of  the  justification  of  their  faith  has 
been  told  by  Marshall  Broomhall '} 

"  The  advertised  day  of  sailing  arrived,  but  enough 
money  had  not  been  received  to  pay  the  passages. 
The  boat  was  postponed  for  two  days,  and  on  Wednes- 
day a  special  meeting  of  the  Council  in  Melbourne  was 
called  for  prayer,  to  lay  once  more  the  whole  matter 
before  the  Lord.  Afterwards  a  sum  of  money  was  re- 
ceived sufficient  to  complete  the  payment  of  five  pas- 
sages. Thursday  dawned,  and  a  telegram  had  to  be 
sent  to  Sydney,  instructing  the  two  young  men  who 
were  tarrying  there  to  wait  for  the  next  steamer. 

"  To  say  that  we  were  puzzled  is  putting  it  lightly; 
for  the  first  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  promises  of  God 
had  failed  us !  We  unitedly  bowed  before  him  asking 
him  to  show  us  where  the  mistake  had  been,  and  how 

'  In  "  Faith  and  Facts." 

93 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

we  had  failed  to  recognize  his  will,  for  all  of  us  had 
felt  most  clearly  that  it  was  his  will  for  all  this  party 
to  go,  that  when  we  came  face  to  face  with  the  fact 
that  two  had  been  left  behind,  it  seemed  to  us  incom- 
prehensible, for  we  still  felt  that  we  were  in  the  line  of 
his  holy  will.  We  humbled  ourselves  before  God,  but 
we  could  get  no  light  at  all,  and  the  riddle  seemed  in- 
soluble. 

"  Friday  morning,  the  first  post  brought  us  a  check 
for  £25,  and  the  first  thought  was,  '  Why  not  yester- 
day, Lord?  It's  too  late  now,'  and  it  was  put  on  one 
side;  after  breakfast  the  thought  came,  would  it  be 
possible  for  them  to  catch  the  steamer  at  Brisbane  by 
going  overland  from  Sydney?  but  on  looking  up  the 
time-table,  we  found  that  it  could  not  be  done  in  the 
time,  unless  the  agents  would  delay  her  for  us.  We 
communicated  with  the  shipping  company,  and  in  the 
afternoon  came  the  delightful  news  that  the  Chang  ska 
had  not  left  Sydney  till  that  morning  at  eight  o'clock! 
If,  then,  we  could  only  let  the  young  men  know,  they 
might  still  catch  her!  Earlier  in  the  day  a  prepara- 
tory telegram  had  been  sent  to  our  Sydney  Secretary, 
and  we  now  sent  word  to  Mr.  Martin  for  the  young 
men  to  go  on.  We  felt  sure  that  the  Lord  who  had 
thus  opened  up  a  new  way  to  China  would  not  fail 
us  now,  but  we  were  kept  waiting  till  the  next  evening, 
when  a  wire  came,  '  Webster  and  Bird  caught  train. 
The  Lord  Jesus  meant  John  xiv.  14.'  Of  course  he 
did,  and  we  felt  most  thankful  that  we  had  not  once 
doubted  his  Word  or  his  wisdom." 


94 


XVIII 

MOVING  MOUNTAINS  IN  JAPAN 

T7ARLY  in  the  present  century  B.  C.  Miyamoto,  a 
-■-'  student  in  Hashiman  Academy,  in  the  province  of 
Omi,  Japan,  became  a  Christian.  But  he  was  the  only 
Christian  in  the  school,  and  he  longed  for  some  one  to 
whom  he  might  take  his  problems.  Daily  he  prayed 
that  God  would  send  the  Christian  teacher  for  whom 
he  longed,  by  whom,  too,  his  fellow  students  might  be 
led  to  share  his  joy  in  Christ. 

Months  passed.  No  Christian  arrived.  Still  he 
prayed,  for  his  faith  was  firm  that  God  would  give 
him  his  desire.  Graduation  day  came,  and  he  thought 
he  would  have  to  leave  the  school  without  having  his 
teacher.  But  he  was  asked  to  serve  as  teacher  of 
English,  so  he  remained. 

While  he  prayed,  God  was  preparing  the  answer. 
William  Murrell  Vories  had  volunteered  to  go  from 
the  United  States  to  teach  in  Hashiman  Academy.  As 
a  condition  of  accepting  the  appointment  he  had  stipu- 
lated that  he  should  be  allowed  to  teach  Bible  classes  in 
his  leisure  time. 

Eagerly  he  looked  forward  to  reaching  his  field,  but 
when  at  last  he  stepped  from  the  train  near  the  acad- 
emy, he  realized  that  he  was  practically  alone  in  a 
province  which  had  long  been  looked  upon  as  a  center 
of  Buddhism.     He  knew  that  the  ancient  religion  still 

95 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

had  a  wonderful  hold  on  the  more  ignorant  of  the 
people,  and  that  the  educated  men  would  be  difficult  to 
reach,  for,  turning  from  Buddhism,  they  had  become 
agnostics.  He  would  have  been  downcast  if  he  had 
allowed  himself  to  dwell  on  these  difficulties,  but  he 
was  resolved  to  go  ahead  in  God's  strength. 

Before  he  knew  the  language  he  asked  his  students 
to  visit  him  in  his  room.  He  played  games  with  them 
till  he  was  on  good  terms  with  them.  Then  he  knew 
enough  of  the  language  to  ask  them  if  they  would 
join  a  Bible  class  for  students.  They  did  not  know 
what  he  meant,  but  they  agreed  to  his  proposal,  some 
for  the  sake  of  politeness,  others  because  of  curiosity. 

With  fear  and  trembling  the  missionary  began  his 
first  lesson.  He  knew  only  a  few  words  of  the  lan- 
guage. How,  then,  could  he  teach  them  ?  He  thought 
that  perhaps  he  was  foolish  to  go  ahead  with  such 
inadequate  preparation.  Yet  he  knew  he  must  go  on 
with  his  task. 

God  honored  his  faith.  Miyamoto  made  known  his 
eagerness  to  act  as  interpreter — Miyamoto,  the  lonely 
Christian  who  had  prayed  for  a  man  who  would  lead 
him  into  fuller  knowledge  of  the  truth. 

The  forty-five  young  men  who  attended  the  first 
session  of  the  Bible  class  were  so  much  interested  that 
they  told  their  friends.  Before  long  more  than  three 
hundred  students  were  enrolled  in  four  classes  and 
were  listening  with  rapt  attention  to  the  simple  pres- 
entation of  Bible  truth. 

The  young  teacher  was  pleased  with  the  results,  but 
he  realized  that  the  work  would  be  incomplete  until  the 
young  men  could  see  other  natives  who  had  been  trans- 

96 


MOVING  MOUNTAINS  IN  JAPAN 

formed  by  Christ.  There  were  none  to  whom  he  could 
point  them,  save  his  interpreter,  and  he  was  only  a 
beginner  in  the  Christian  life. 

Finally,  after  long  and  earnest  prayer,  and  after 
conference  with  Miyamoto,  it  was  decided  that  they 
two  must  live  the  Christ  life  before  the  students  so 
constantly  that  the  students  would  realize  the  power 
of  the  words  taught.  In  humility  they  asked  that  they 
might  be  given  grace  to  be  true  witnesses,  not  only  in 
hours  when  duty  called  them  before  the  men,  but  at 
all  times. 

Then  they  went  a  step  further.  They  invited  one  of 
the  students  to  share  with  them  their  room,  in  order 
that  they  might  by  hourly  contact  "  help  him  to  apply 
the  principles  of  Christianity  to  the  practical  problems 
of  Christian  life,  and  thus  develop  from  their  own 
number  an  example  that  would  help  solve  the  dilemma." 

The  experiment  was  so  successful  that  they  invited 
others  to  come  with  them,  till  before  long  seven  na- 
tives were  sharing  their  poor  quarters.  These  became 
so  crowded  that  it  was  necessary  to  use  a  "  disused  and 
rat-infested  attic." 

As  others  wished  to  live  with  them  on  the  same 
terms,  they  looked  for  larger  quarters.  None  could 
be  found,  however ;  no  one  in  the  town  seemed  to  de- 
sire to  help  the  young  Christians. 

They  were  not  discouraged.  They  formed  the  dar- 
ing plan  of  erecting  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation building.  But  they  could  not  secure  even  a 
lot. 

Of  course  they  told  God  of  their  difficulty  and  God 
showed  them  the  way  out.     He  sent  to  them  a  native 

97 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

from  Kyoto  who  desired  to  give  a  Christian  church  to 
the  town,  in  which  he  had  spent  his  boyhood.  When 
he  learned  of  their  plan  he  gave  them  the  deed  to  the 
best  corner  lot  in  town,  stipulating  that  half  of  this 
should  become  the  site  of  the  church,  while  half  should 
be  reserved  for  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building. 

Then  their  faith  was  tried  by  opposition.  Buddhist 
priests,  disturbed  by  the  popularity  of  the  new  re- 
ligion among  the  young  men,  and  fearful  lest  their 
own  fat  fees  become  less,  stirred  up  trouble.  They 
threatened  Mr.  Vories,  and  when  they  found  that  they 
could  not  move  him,  they  appealed  to  those  responsible 
for  the  school  to  forbid  the  continued  teaching  of  re- 
ligion by  their  employees. 

It  proved  an  easy  matter  to  provoke  some  of  the 
unruly  students  to  persecute  their  Christian  fellows. 
At  first  they  were  satisfied  with  petty  annoyances,  but, 
becoming  bolder,  they  attacked  the  Christians  by  night 
and  sometimes  left  them  senseless  on  the  ground. 

To  Vories  the  students  came  for  help.  What  should 
they  do?  To  whom  should  they  go?  He  could  only 
tell  them  to  go  to  God  with  their  troubles  and  per- 
plexities. So  they  agreed  to  meet  each  morning  in 
the  room  of  the  teacher  for  fifteen  minutes  of  prayer. 

The  first  day  twelve  men  went.  Earnestly  they  asked 
God  to  deliver  them  from  their  tormentors.  Then 
they  went  out,  encouraged.  But  they  were  dismayed 
when,  next  day,  their  opponents  redoubled  their  an- 
noying attacks. 

Prayers  were  continued.  More  were  present  at  the 
second  gathering.  Before  the  end  of  the  month  forty 
daily  asked  God  to  give  them  courage  to  face  their 

98 


MOVING  MOUNTAINS  IN  JAPAN 

foes  and  to  open  the  way  to  serve  him  as  they  desired. 

Mr.  Vories/  tells  how  the  answer  came.  It  was  not 
in  **  a  lessening  of  the  abuses,  but  in  a  change  in  the 
men  themselves."  God's  Spirit  descended  on  the 
prayer  meetings.  Those  who  were  already  Christians 
became  more  devoted.  Some  of  the  students  who  had 
hesitated  to  accept  Christ  decided  to  become  his  fol- 
lowers. 

The  persecuting  Japanese,  learning  these  facts,  re- 
doubled their  efforts,  but  to  their  surprise  they  were 
unable  to  make  any  impression  on  the  Christians.  The 
prayer  meetings  they  had  ridiculed  increased  in  num- 
ber, and  as  they  saw  the  students  going  to  and  from 
the  meetings  and  to  their  places  in  class,  they  mar- 
veled at  the  marks  of  peace  and  joy  on  the  faces  of 
the  men. 

What  could  be  the  cause  of  this  strange  power  of  the 
Christians  to  smile  at  their  worst  efforts?  What  did 
they  do  at  their  prayer  meetings?  They  resolved  to 
learn.  Two  of  their  number  agreed  to  spy  on  one 
of  the  gatherings.  Assuring  their  fellows  that  they 
would  learn  the  secret,  they  attended  a  prayer  meeting. 
Their  eyes  were  open  wide  and  their  ears  were  atten- 
tive. But  they  saw  nothing  but  kneeling  men,  they  heard 
nothing  but  petitions  that  God  would  give  blessing  to 
those  who  prayed  and  to  those  who  opposed  and  per- 
secuted them.  And  they  were  conquered.  "  They 
were  overcome  and  melted  to  tears  in  the  very  meeting 
which  they  had  come  to  report  upon." 

The  Christians  had  conquered.  Their  faith  was 
justified.     Both   spies   became   Christians,   and  made 

*  In  "A  Mustard  Seed  in  Japan." 

99 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

public  confession  of  their  sin  in  persecuting  their  fel- 
lows, and  sought  forgiveness. 

Alarmed,  the  Buddhist  priests  brought  pressure  on 
the  Commissioner  of  Education,  and  he  informed  the 
principal  of  the  academy  that  Vories  must  cease  to 
teach  Bible  classes,  or  resign.  In  case  he  was  retained, 
and  continued  his  Bible  work,  the  state  appropriation 
to  the  school  would  be  discontinued. 

At  the  end  of  the  two  years  covered  by  the  teacher's 
contract  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  his  work. 

What  then?  Must  he  leave  the  town?  Must  he 
desert  the  young  Christians  who  depended  on  him, 
without  erecting  the  buildings  for  which  he  had  the 
lot  all  ready? 

He  decided  that  he  could  not  forsake  the  Christian 
students.  They  needed  him,  and  he  needed  them.  To- 
gether they  must  face  the  future,  conquering  difficulties 
through  their  faith  in  God,  and  winning  their  way  un- 
til their  right  to  worship  God  in  that  Buddhist  com- 
munity was  recognized  by  the  priests. 

In  the  face  of  constant  opposition  a  modest  church 
building  was  erected.  Then,  courageously,  the  leader 
faced  the  future,  not  knowing  how  support  was  to 
come. 

Ways  appeared.  A  tourist  who  had  become  inter- 
ested in  the  young  Christians  began  to  send  twenty-five 
dollars  a  month  for  the  work.  Then  Vories  thought 
of  a  plan  to  add  to  the  income  and  support  himself. 
Before  becoming  a  student  volunteer  he  had  been  a 
student  of  architecture.  Now  was  the  time  to  put  his 
knowledge  to  practical  use!  Surely  at  mission  sta- 
tions and  elsewhere  he  would  be  called  on  to  design 

ICXD 


MOVING  MOUNTAINS  IN  JAPAN 

and  superintend  the  erection  of  buildings,  when  once 
it  became  known  that  he  was  ready  for  commissions. 

He  found  the  work  he  sought.  Friends  in  Japan 
and  the  United  States  became  interested  in  the  mis- 
sion. Other  workers  volunteered^  until  there  were 
twenty  at  the  station.  The  parent  church  became  self- 
supporting.  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  were 
organized  at  three  points,  two  of  these  being  railroad 
towns.  A  motor  boat  began  to  carry  gospel  messages 
to  all  points  on  the  sixty-mile  lake  which  is  one  of  the 
province's  chief  features. 

And  still  the  work  goes  on  in  this  Buddhist  strong- 
hold, increasing  in  power  and  reaching  more  of  the 
people  who  were  so  long  in  bondage  to  the  priests,  a 
monument  to  faith  in  God  and  to  God's  blessing  on 
workers  who  trusted  in  him. 


lOI 


XIX 

A  LIFE  OF  TRUST  IN  THE  DESERT 

"T3E-GW0-ET-TEN  goes  to  his  death!  " 

-■-'  This  was  the  mournful  chant  of  the  Navajo 
friends  of  an  Indian  seventy  years  old  as  he  turned 
his  back  on  his  home  and  rode  to  the  Arizona  court 
which  was  to  try  him  for  willful  murder.  He  was  in- 
nocent of  the  charge.  But  the  Indians  had  learned  by 
experience  that  there  was  not  much  hope  for  one  of 
their  race  on  trial  by  a  jury  of  cowboys  and  cattle- 
owners.  How  could  they  expect  to  convince  judge 
and  jury  that  the  cowboy  killed  by  Be-gwo-et-ten  had 
persecuted  him  for  months,  and  at  the  moment  of 
death  was  forcing  his  way,  fully  armed,  into  a 
native  hunting  camp?  How  could  there  be  anything 
but  death  in  store  for  an  Indian  who  had  dared 
to  lift  his  hand  against  a  white  man,  even  in  self- 
defense? 

But  Be-gwo-et-ten  closed  his  ears  to  the  wailing  of 
his  friends.  He  had  given  his  word  that  he  would 
appear  for  trial.  So  he  rode  one  hundred  and  eighty 
miles,  although  weak  from  a  bullet  wound,  and  reached 
the  county  seat  on  the  appointed  day. 

There  a  surprise  was  in  store  for  the  old  hero.  A 
stranger,  learning  of  his  case  and  convinced  of  his 
innocence,  had  interested  friends  in  the  East,  and  had 
secured  counsel  for  the  accused.     The  result  was  his 

102 


A  LIFE  OF  TRUST  IN  THE  DESERT 

acquittal.  The  Indians  rejoiced,  and  were  ready  to 
do  anything  for  their  benefactor. 

The  stranger  was  Mr.  W.-  R.  Johnston,  who  had 
heard  the  call  of  twenty-five  thousand  Navajos  among 
whom  no  missionary  labored.  With  no  assurance  of 
support  other  than  the  prayers  of  a  few  friends  and  the 
promises  of  God,  he  took  his  family  to  the  Arizona 
desert.  His  first  home  was  a  tent  on  the  bank  of  the 
Little  Colorado  River,  fifty  miles  from  Flagstaff. 
There  a  clearing  was  made  in  a  cottonwood  grove,  and 
a  one-room  cabin  was  built.  This  primitive  structure, 
somewhat  enlarged,  was  long  the  main  building  of  the 
mission. 

When  Mr.  Johnston  sought  to  begin  his  work,  he 
found  many  dif^culties  in  his  way.  First  of  all,  he  had 
to  win  the  confidence  of  the  Indians.  He  was  told 
that  this  was  impossible.  But  he  believed  that  God 
would  open  the  way  to  the  hearts  of  the  red  men,  whom 
he  longed  to  help.  In  consecjuence  of  the  assistance 
given  Be-gwo-et-ten  in  his  time  of  need,  friends  were 
made  by  hundreds. 

But  there  was  still  a  serious  hindrance  to  his  work. 
The  Navajos,  who  are  not  annuity  Indians,  but  earn 
their  living  by  sheep-raising,  were  compelled  to  be  rov- 
ers. Their  reservation  is  large,  but,  owing  to  the  lack 
of  water,  is  useless  for  grazing  purposes  at  least  six 
months  in  the  year.  So  the  herders  wander  about  in 
search  of  pasture.  They  remain,  it  may  be,  but  a  few 
weeks  in  a  place,  and  so  cannot  be  effectively  reached 
by  Christian  workers. 

Mr.  Johnston  realized  that  he  must  break  up  their 
nomadic  habits.     If  he   would  do  this   successfully, 

103 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

permanent  pasturage  must  be  provided.  The  reserva- 
tion itself  offered  little  opportunity  for  the  carrying  out 
of  his  plans.  The  extra-reservation  lands,  hov^ever, 
are  w^atered  by  the  Little  Colorado ;  that  is,  when  there 
is  any  water  in  the  stream,  which  is  only  periodically. 
The  bed  is  dry  except  after  the  infrequent  rains,  and 
when  the  melting  snows  send  down  floods  from  the 
mountains.  Then  the  dry  bed  speedily  becomes  a 
torrent. 

Mr.  Johnston  thought  of  the  blessing  to  the  Indians 
if  only  a  dam  could  be  constructed  and  these  flood 
waters  retained  for  use  in  time  of  drought.  Discour- 
agers told  the  missionary  that  he  could  not  succeed  in 
building  the  dam,  and  that,  even  if  the  dam  were  built, 
he  had  no  assurance  that  the  land  redeemed  by  so 
much  labor  would  not  be  taken  from  them  by  greedy 
settlers.  They  had  seen  this  result  so  often  that  it  was 
difficult  to  interest  them  in  the  plan.  They  were  afraid 
of  the  white  man.  But  Mr.  Johnston  believed  God 
would  help  him.  So,  to  assure  the  Indians  of  the 
permanency  of  their  investment  of  labor,  Mr.  John- 
ston, with  two  Navajos,  went  to  Washington  and 
appealed  to  President  Roosevelt  to  withdraw  from 
settlement  the  land  on  the  river,  near  the  mission,  in 
order  to  permit  its  survey  and  allotment  to  the  Nava- 
jos, according  to  law.  The  request  was  granted,  and 
another  difficulty  was  removed. 

Then  the  irrigation  work  was  begun  in  earnest.  A 
canal  was  dug,  and  a  crude  pile  driver  was  made  by 
Mr.  Johnston  and  an  assistant,  with  the  aid  of  a  few 
Indians.  Some  tools  were  furnished  by  the  Indian 
Rights  Association  of  Philadelphia.    Whenever  funds 

104 


A  LIFE  OF  TRUST  IN  THE  DESERT 

specially  contributed  for  the  purpose  were  exhausted, 
the  work  was  discontinued.  Mr.  Johnston  was  the 
tireless  superintendent,  and  his  Navajo  helpers  were 
inspired  by  his  example.  They  were  hungry,  but  still 
they  worked  with  dogged  determination.  Food  was 
given  them  whenever  the  missionary  had  it  to  give,  but 
frequently  the  members  of  the  family  at  the  station 
were  more  hungry  than  the  Indians.  On  one  occasion, 
when  the  mission  team  was  hired  by  settlers  in  the 
neighborhood,  the  proceeds  were  used  to  feed  Indian 
workers  for  two  weeks.  At  another  time  prayer  was 
offered  for  relief  for  the  starving  laborers,  and  the 
answer  came  in  the  shape  of  drafts  for  one  hundred 
and  two  dollars  from  the  Indian  Rights  Association. 

When  the  dam  was  within  three  days  of  completion, 
a  flood  came  down,  caused  by  rains  in  the  uplands. 
When  the  Indians  saw  their  work  threatened,  men, 
women,  and  children  were  called  into  service.  One 
woman  nearly  seventy  years  of  age  worked  with  the 
others  to  save  what  represented  so  much  to  the  tribe. 
The  flood  gradually  worked  its  way  around  the  un- 
finished end  of  the  dam,  and  soon  cut  a  wide  channel 
through  it. 

But  the  Indians  were  not  discouraged.  Again  they 
set  to  work.  The  breach  was  repaired,  only  to  be 
opened  by  a  second  flood.  A  third  attempt  was  made, 
and  the  structure  was  finally  finished — three  hundred 
feet  of  stone  and  timber.  Then  all  waited  eagerly  for 
the  rising  of  the  water. 

Although  that  season's  freshet  was  not  so  great  as 
usual,  the  water  retained  by  the  dam  was  still  enough 
to  prove  the  feasibility  of  Mr.  Johnston's  plans  for  irri- 

105 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

gation.  The  ditches  were  filled,  and  the  underground 
streams  were  replenished,  so  that  a  number  of  wind- 
mills drew  water  from  wells  driven  in  convenient  loca- 
tions. 

Then  once  more  the  cry  was  raised,  '*  The  river  is 
coming!  "  As  before,  every  available  hand  was  raised 
to  avert  the  threatened  calamity,  but  in  spite  of  strenu- 
ous efforts  the  rushing  waters  tore  a  gap  in  the  dam. 
Owing  to  unscientific  engineering  and  the  lack  of 
proper  tools  in  building,  the  structure  was  too  weak 
to  withstand  great  pressure. 

This  was  in  1902.  In  December  Mr.  Johnston  was 
urged  by  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  to  visit 
Washington  for  a  conference  with  the  department. 
Two  leading  Navajos,  She-she-nez  and  Pesh-la-ki 
Etsetty,  accompanied  him.  Mr.  Johnston  told  Com- 
missioner Jones  of  the  vain  efforts  to  build  the  dam. 
Deeply  interested,  Mr.  Jones  asked  what  it  would  take 
to  complete,  in  a  first-class  manner,  their  irrigation 
plant,  including  ditch,  dam,  material  for  conduits,  and 
mills.  When  a  rough  estimate  was  made,  he  at  once 
said  that  five  thousand  dollars  could  be  appropriated 
for  the  purpose,  and  requested  Mr.  Johnston  to  accept 
an  appointment  from  the  government  to  take  general 
oversight  of  the  work.  The  appointment  was  accepted 
on  condition  that  no  salary  be  paid.  The  Commis- 
sioner unwillingly  agreed,  but  insisted  on  sending  out 
a  clerk,  that  the  missionary  might  be  relieved  of  the 
accounts  and  correspondence. 

In  February,  1903,  a  competent  engineer  was  hired, 
and  the  work  of  rebuilding  was  begun.  A  number  of 
miles  of  ditch  and  laterals  were  laid  off,  and  plans 

106 


A  LIFE  OF  TRUST  IN  THE  DESERT 

were  drawn  for  a  more  massive  dam.  The  Indians 
flocked  in,  hungry,  and  eager  for  a  chance  to  earn  their 
bread  at  work  which  promised  so  much  for  their  fu- 
ture. One  old  man,  who  lived  across  the  river,  walked 
ninety  miles  to  reach  the  works.  The  river  was  high 
and  the  water  was  cold;  but,  securing  a  shovel,  he  swam 
across  and  asked  for  employment.  There  was  soon  an 
entire  brigade  of  old  men  who  worked  diligently.  Their 
ages  ranged  from  fifty  to  eighty  years.  By  March 
8  there  were  seventy-eight  Indians  of  all  ages  on  the 
pay  roll.  They  were  unskilled  and  undisciplined,  but 
they  responded  readily  to  the  instruction  of  their  fore- 
men.   Soon  the  dam  was  completed. 

At  the  mission  no  salaries  are  paid  to  anyone,  for 
there  is  no  treasury  of  a  mission  board  upon  which 
to  make  drafts  at  stated  intervals.  However,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Johnston  and  their  associates  from  the  first  made 
their  drafts,  morning  and  evening  and  many  times  each 
day,  upon  the  full  treasury  of  Him  whom  giving  doth 
not  impoverish.  "  Faith  Mission  "  would  be  a  true 
name  for  the  station  thus  supported  by  the  God  who 
hears  and  answers  prayer.  For  God  answered  those 
prayers;  the  drafts  were  honored,  the  work  prospered. 
Sometimes,  to  be  sure,  there  was  little  in  the  house 
either  to  eat  or  to  wear.  Often  the  parents  did  not 
know  how  the  day's  wants  were  to  be  supplied.  At 
times  the  father's  shoes  were  mere  uppers.  But  al- 
ways God  sent  his  angel,  and  his  servants  did  not 
suffer. 

No  appeals  were  made  to  anyone  but  God.  A  little 
periodical, ''  A  Neglected  People,"  was  the  organ  of  the 
mission.    In  every  number  this  motto  was  prominently 

107 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

displayed,   "As  to  needs,   full   information.     As  to 
funds,  no  solicitation." 

Is  it  strange  that  this  interdenominational  mission 
to  the  Navajos,  founded  in  faith  and  nurtured  in 
prayer,  has  been  blessed  by  the  Father  of  the  faithful? 


io8 


FIVE 
ENCOURAGEMENTS 


109 


Yet,  in  the  maddening  maze  of  things, 

And  tossed  by  storm  and  flood, 
To  one  fixed  stake  my  spirit  clings, 

I  know  that  God  is  good !  .    .    . 

I  know  not  what  the  future  hath 

Of  marvel  or  surprise, 
Assured  alone  that  life  and  death 

His  mercy  underlies  .    .    . 

And  so  beside  the  Silent  Sea 

I  wait  the  muffled  oar. 
No  harm  from  Him  can  come  to  me 

On  ocean  or  on  shore. 

I  know  not  where  His  islands  lift 

Their  fronded  palms  in  air; 
I  'only  know  I  cannot  drift 

Beyond  His  love  and  care. 

— ^JoHN  G.  Whittier. 


IIO 


XX 

IN  GOD'S  STRENGTH 

"'T^HERE  is  so  much  that  ought  to  be  done;  but 
-*-      there  are  so  few  of  us  that  we  do  not  feel  able 
to  undertake  the  work." 

When  the  temptation  comes  to  a  Christian  to  say 
something*  like  that,  he  needs  to  think  of  the  reply 
made  by  a  corporal  of  the  Royal  Northwest  Mounted 
Police  of  Canada  to  the  commander  of  a  troop  of 
soldiers.  The  soldiers  had  just  brought  a  company 
of  two  hundred  wild  Cree  Indians  to  the  place  where 
they  were  to  be  turned  over  to  the  police,  who  would 
guard  them  to  their  reservation.  "  Where's  your 
escort  for  these  Indians?"  the  question  was  asked  of 
the  corporal,  who  stood  at  the  head  of  a  file  of  two  of 
his  men.  "  We're  here !  "  the  corporal  replied.  "  Yes, 
yes,  I  see.  But  where's  your  regiment  ?  "  "I  guess  it's 
here  all  right,"  once  more  the  corporal  made  reply; 
"  the  other  fellow's  looking  after  the  breakfast  things." 
**  But  are  there  only  four  of  you  then?  "  "  That's  so, 
colonel,  but  then  you  see  we  wear  the  queen's  scarlet," 
was  the  firm  answer  of  the  corporal.  Conscious  that 
he  wore  the  uniform  of  a  mighty  sovereign,  that  cor- 
poral was  ready  to  undertake  any  duty  that  came  to 
him. 

Then  why  should  a  Christian  fear  to  do  work  God 
has  put  in  his  way?    He  does  not  stand  alone.     He 

III 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

wears  the  uniform  of  the  mighty  God,  and  always 
underneath  him  are  the  everlasting*  arms  of  love. 

When  faith  is  weak  and  the  Christian  loses  cour- 
age, when  the  present  is  all  dark  and  he  dreads  to  think 
of  the  future,  there  is  sure  relief  in  thinking  of  the 
ever-present  Helper,  and  recalling  what  God  has  done 
in  previous  times  of  affliction.  Has  there  ever  been  a 
danger  through  which  'God  has  not  helped  him  if  he  has 
given  God  the  chance?  The  result  of  such  argument 
will  be  the  same  serene  confidence  that  enabled  David 
to  say  (it  is  supposed  on  the  night  that  he  was  fleeing 
from  Jerusalem  on  account  of  Absalom's  rebellion), 
"  In  peace  will  I  both  lay  me  down  and  sleep ;  for  thou, 
Jehovah,  alone  makest  me  dwell  in  safety,"  and  justifi- 
cation will  come  to  modern  makers  of  the  prayer,  as  it 
came  to  him,  so  that,  next  morning,  he  could  sing,  "  I 
laid  me  down  and  slept;  I  awaked;  for  Jehovah  sus- 
taineth  me.'* 


112 


XXI 

"LACKED  YE  ANYTHING?" 

A  YOUNG  Englishman,  of  twenty-two  was  invited 
-^^  to  the  home  of  a  friend  in  Ireland,  in  order  that 
the  two  might  talk  over  a  possible  business  partnership. 
When  he  arrived,  he  was  warned  to  avoid  an  older 
brother,  who  would  surely  talk  to  him  about  his  soul. 
The  visitor  did  seek  to  avoid  him,  for  his  soul  was  the 
subject  about  which  he  wanted  to  talk  least.  But  that 
very  day  he  was  drawn  into  the  conversation  he 
dreaded.  He  did  not  give  the  Christian  brother  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  it,  but  he  carried  away  with 
him  a  most  uncomfortable  feeling  about  himself,  as 
well  as  a  feeling  of  wonder  at  the  evident  joy  of  the 
man  who  had  spoken  to  him. 

A  few  weeks  later  the  impression  was  deepened  by 
a  call  on  a  man  in  Belfast  whom  he  sought  for  business 
reasons.  He  was  on  his  guard  against  this  man  also, 
for  he  had  been  told  that  he  was  *'  one  of  these  re- 
ligious people."  But  in  spite  of  himself  the  personality 
of  the  Christian  man  charmed  him. 

As  he  saw  more  of  the  man  and  his  Christian  friends 
the  impression  deepened.  As  he  watched  their  lives 
he  heard  God's  call  to  him  to  give  his  heart  to  Christ 
and  become  "  a  religious  fanatic  "  himself.  By  this 
time,  however,  the  religion  of  his  friends  did  not  seem 
fanaticism,  but  the  most  reasonable  faith. 

113 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

Before  long  he  was  a  regular  attendant  at  a  Bible 
class  of  five  men  which  met  in  a  private  home.  Gradu- 
ally the  band  grew  till  the  class  more  than  doubled. 

One  desire  that  was  ever  in  the  hearts  of  the  young 
men  was  that  they  might  be  guided  to  serve  God  in  the 
way  of  his  choosing.  They  sought  his  guidance,  be- 
lieving that  he  would  give  them  some  definite  work  to 
do  for  him,  and  that,  when  the  time  came,  he  would 
give  them  the  faith  to  do  his  will;  if  need  be,  to  go 
out,  like  Abraham,  "  not  knowing  whither "  they 
went. 

One  February  night  in  1897  they  were  put  to  the 
test.  God  made  it  clear  to  them  that  he  wanted  them 
in  the  foreign-mission  field.  Before  they  separated 
they  drew  up  and  signed  this  declaration: 

*'  Lord,  I  am  at  thy  disposal  for  Foreign  Missionary 
Work  as  soon  as,  and  wherever,  thou  callest  me." 

In  the  following  summer  four  of  the  young  men 
decided  to  go  to  the  Students'  Conference  at  Curbar 
in  Derbyshire,  England.  '*  We  had  a  strong  impres- 
sion that  the  guidance  to  our  sphere  of  labor  was  to 
be  there  revealed,"  one  of  the  young  men  has  written.^ 
There  they  met  a  worker  who  had  gone  to  the  Con- 
ference in  the  belief  that  there  God  would  open  the 
way  to  find  seven  men  who  were  needed  for  mission 
work  in  Egypt. 

When  the  call  was  made  known  to  the  young  men 
who  were  seeking  guidance,  they  agreed  to  go,  but 
said  it  was  their  conviction  that  they  should  go  out  in 
full  dependence  on  God  for  support  rather  than  in  con- 
nection with  any  organized  mission.    Their  earnestness 

*  George  Swan,  in  "Lacked  Ye  Anything?" 
114 


"LACKED  YE  ANYTHING?" 

and  faith  were  so  apparent  that  it  seemed  impossible  to 
urge  them  to  reconsider  their  decision. 

The  four  men  at  Curbar  prayed  for  the  three  men 
to  complete  the  party.  They  intended  to  present  the 
call  at  a  gathering  of  the  Bible-class  band,  believing 
that  there  the  number  would  be  made  up  to  seven. 
But  they  did  not  need  to  wait  till  the  meeting.  That 
very  summer  one  of  the  band,  who  had  had  no  com- 
munication with  the  volunteers  enlisted  at  Curbar,  was 
visiting  in  Algeria,  where  he  decided  that  God  wanted 
him  to  become  a  missionary  to  the  Mohammedans. 
''  He  felt,  at  the  time,  that  this  might  lead  to  his 
separation  from  the  rest  of  the  band;  but  all  was  quite 
clear  when  he  arrived  home,  and  heard  of  God's  deal- 
ings with  the  others." 

Word  soon  came  that  the  sixth  member  of  the  band 
had  been  led  to  decide  that  his  duty  lay  in  Moham- 
medan lands  through  reading  the  pamphlet,  "  A  Chal- 
lenge to  Faith,"  which  came  into  his  hands  in  such  a 
way  that  he  saw  God's  leading  very  clearly. 

The  six  men  began  to  make  ready  for  the  trip  to 
Egypt,  for  all  agreed  that  they  should  begin  work 
there.  To  be  sure,  the  seventh  volunteer  had  not  yet 
offered  himself,  but  they  believed  that  God  would  send 
him  in  good  time. 

While  they  waited,  prayed,  and  worked,  a  friend 
sought  them  and  told  them  he  thought  they  were  mak- 
ing a  mistake.  Unable  to  convince  them,  he  returned 
to  his  home.  On  the  way  a  Christian  man  said  to 
him,  ''  I  hear  you  are  going  with  the  little  band  of 
men  to  Egypt." 

He  could  not  forget  the  words.    Soon  he  was  won- 
115 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

dering  if  he  ought  not  to  go.  Then  he  decided  that 
if  this  was  a  call  of  God  to  him,  some  way  would  be 
shown  him  to  arrange  for  the  management  of  his  busi- 
'  ness  in  time  to  join  the  band.  This  question  came  to 
him  in  a  room  where  a  roll  of  Scripture  texts  hung 
on  the  wall.  Staring  him  in  the  face  were  the  words, 
"  Come  unto  me,  and  I  will  give  you  the  good  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  and  ye  shall  eat  the  fat  of  the  land. 
Regard  not  your  stuff,  for  the  good  of  all  the  land  of 
Egypt  is  yours." 

It  was  enough.  He  hesitated  no  longer,  but  made 
known  to  the  waiting  six  that  he  was  ready  to  join 
them. 

Without  arranging  for  support,  the  young  men 
went  to  Egypt.  Work  was  begun  in  Alexandria  in 
1898.  Later  forces  were  divided  and  stations  were 
opened  in  three  villages  and  towns.  Schools  were 
opened  and  evangelistic  work  was  conducted. 

In  1900  it  was  decided  to  organize  the  mission. 
Accordingly  a  simple  constitution  was  adopted,  and  a 
Home  Council  was  arranged  for  in  Belfast,  which  was 
to  receive  the  gifts  sent  in  for  the  work  of  the  mission. 
Then  there  was  a  Field  Council,  which  was  to  have 
charge  of  administration  on  the  field.  The  name 
adopted  at  first  was  the  Egypt  Mission  Band.  Three 
years  later  this  was  changed  to  the  Egypt  General 
Mission.  In  general,  the  organization  was  patterned 
after  that  of  the  China  Inland  Mission. 

The  foundation  principle  of  the  organization  was  re- 
affirmed :  the  members  trusted  in  the  Lord  directly  to 
supply  all  needs.  The  method  followed  in  carrying 
out  this  principle  was  thus  explained  by  Mr.  Swan: 

116 


"LACKED  YE  ANYTHING?'* 

"  Every  month  we  divide  what  God  has  sent  in ; 
first  paying  all  fixed  charges,  such  as  rents,  teachers, 
evangelists'  and  other  helpers'  wages,  and  all  other  cur- 
rent expenses;  the  balance  is  then  distributed  amongst 
the  missionaries,  giving  each  such  a  sum  as  will  cover 
the  necessities  of  life.  If  there  is  not  sufficient  to  pro- 
vide this  sum,  each  abates  proportionately.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  God  has  very  often  enabled  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Mission  to  live  on  much  less  than  this 
amount,  and  in  various  ways,  when  he  has  seen  his 
children  needed  more,  he  has  sent  it.  Many  times  we 
have  reconsidered  this  method  of  making  the  work, 
rather  than  the  worker,  a  first  charge  on  the  mission 
funds.  But,  after  considering  it  in  all  its  bearings,  it 
has  always  been  unanimously  decided  to  be  the  best 
working  plan  for  us." 

During  the  years  since  the  organization  of  the  Mis- 
sion the  work  has  prospered.  Recruits  have  joined 
the  original  band,  until  there  were,  in  1913,  thirty- 
four  missionaries;  schools  have  prospered;  converts 
have  been  made,  and  always  there  has  been  enough  to 
meet  the  needs  of  the  stations.  The  workers  rejoice 
to  quote  the  words :  "  When  I  sent  you  forth  without 
purse  and  without  scrip,  lacked  ye  anything?  and  they 
answered,  nothing."  That  their  faith  in  God  has  been 
justified  one  of  their  number  testifies :  "  Although 
nearly  every  month,  during  fifteen  years,  has  seen  our 
general  account  exhausted,  we  have  never  once  failed, 
or  even  been  late,  in  meeting  our  liabilities.  If  at  times 
the  missionaries'  allowances  have  been  very  short, 
God  has  always,  in  some  way,  met  the  actual  need. 
Many  can  testify  to  the  fact  that,  when  allowances  have 

[  17 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

made  it  impossible  to  buy  very  needful  additions  to  the 
wardrobe,  God  has  sent  to  them  just  the  very  garments 
they  needed,  and,  besides,  fitting  excellently.  Some  one 
may  remark,  '  But  what  a  hand-to-mouth  existence.' 
Quite  so,  but  there  is  no  sordidness  or  grinding  pov- 
erty in  the  existence  when  we  fully  realize  that  it  is,  as 
some  one  has  said, '  from  God's  hand  to  our  mouth.'  Is 
not  the  life  of  simple  dependence  after  all  the  highest? 

"  Not  only  in  the  matter  of  finance,  however,  have 
we  seen  that  God's  hand  has  been  with  us.  Time 
after  time  we  have  found  that  choice  of  Mission  prem- 
ises has  been  made  with  more  than  human  foresight, 
and  our  hearts  have  been  filled  with  joy  as  we  have 
watched  railway  developments,  market,  and  town 
changes,  etc.,  all  making  the  sites  year  by  year  more 
valuable  as  Mission  centers." 

The  idea  at  the  basis  of  the  mission  work  is  further 
explained  in  this  way : 

"  One  of  the  simple  principles  which  we  believe  God 
gave  us  at  the  inception  of  the  work  was  that  it  should 
be  carried  on  in  faith.  No  attempt  was  made  to  define 
what  this  meant  or  to  expound  its  content.  We  be- 
lieved we  had  been  called  of  God  to  go  forth  to  Egypt 
in  childlike  dependence  on  him  for  the  supply  of  all  our 
needs.  We  believed  further  that  his  provision  would 
always  be  found  alongside  his  plan,  and  at  the  back  of 
our  minds  there  was  the  conviction  that  the  whole 
Church  would  be  enriched,  not  by  our  faith  but  by  his 
faithfulness.  We  had  no  one  behind  us  but  a  few 
praying  friends.  We  could  therefore  make  full  proof 
of  the  reality  of  God's  promises  in  regard  to  temporal 
supplies.     It  was  quite  clear  to  us  that  going  into  debt 

ii8 


"LACKED  YE  ANYTHING?" 

would  be  inconsistent  with  the  Word  of  God.  We 
could  not  therefore  guarantee  any  fixed  support,  but 
we  could  undertake  to  use  faithfully  what  he  sent  in, 
taking  this  as  his  provision  for  our  need.  As  the  work 
has  grown  the  situation  has  become  more  complex,  but 
the  principle  remains  the  same.  We  are  not  the 
agents  of  a  Committee  in  England,  but  members  of  a 
Mission  in  Egypt,  each  pledged  to  look  to  the  Lord 
direct  for  the  supply  of  every  need,  and  all  bound  to- 
gether as  a  family,  conscious  of  the  responsibility  of 
the  family  relationship.  This  is  at  any  rate  the  ideal 
we  have  set  before  us,  and  in  spite  of  many  failures 
we  are  still  seeking  to  realize  the  ideal." 

One  December  there  was  need  of  £100  to  close  the 
year  without  debt.  On  December  31  the  amount  had 
not  been  received,  and  word  was  sent  to  the  Home 
Council,  '*  Keep  praying  that  we  may  rejoice  in  hope. 
He  has  never  failed  us  yet."  On  January  4  a  lady 
brought  to  the  Dublin  office  of  the  Mission  £100  for  the 
work,  explaining  that  the  Lord  had  told  her  a  week  be- 
fore to  give  that  amount.  The  gift  was  cabled  to  the 
field,  and  the  workers  rejoiced  that  the  sum  needed 
was  provided  ''  without  any  appeal  save  to  the  living 
God." 

At  one  time  the  future  of  the  work  in  Belbus  was 
threatened  by  the  reception  of  notice  from  the  landlord 
to  quit  the  premises.  No  other  house  could  be  secured. 
The  Mission  owned  a  lot,  but  there  was  no  money  for  a 
building.  Just  then  an  Englishman  came  to  Belbus, 
learned  of  the  situation,  and  gave  £600  for  a  building. 
Before  the  notice  to  quit  expired,  the  new  house  was 
completed. 

119 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

A  pleasing  sequel  to  this  incident  is  recorded.  At  the 
time  the  Englishman  promised  the  money,  he  did  not 
know  just  how  he  was  to  afford  the  expenditure. 
However,  before  leaving  Egypt  he  received  a  letter 
from  home  which  informed  him  that,  owing  to  a  mis- 
take in  the  balance  sheet  of  the  firm  of  which  he 
was  a  member,  he  was  to  be  credited  with  £600  addi- 
tional. 

In  June,  1908,  on  the  last  day  when  funds  could  go 
to  the  Mission  from  Dublin,  and  be  received  in  time  for 
the  payment  of  the  month's  obligations,  there  was  a 
very  small  amount  in  hand.  A  check  for  this  was  in- 
closed, but  before  the  letter  was  mailed  the  Australian 
mail  brought  a  draft  for  £150  and  another  for  £12. 
It  was  thus  possible  to  inclose  everything  that  was 
needed.  After  telling  of  this  response  to  the  faith  of 
God's  servants,  these  sentences  are  added :  "  Now  that 
letter  from  Queensland  had  been  coming  for  six  weeks. 
Who  timed  it  to  arrive  just  at  that  critical  moment? 
Coincidence !  The  word  is  too  long  and  the  calculation 
on  the  basis  of  probabilities  is  too  difficult.  God !  This 
is  simple  and  satisfying." 

At  another  time  of  great  need,  when  funds  were 
especially  short,  a  company  of  the  faithful  men  had 
been  asking  God  for  help.  They  were  just  separating 
for  the  night  when  the  last  mail  was  left  at  the  door. 
The  first  letter  opened  contained  a  check  for  £120,  for- 
warded by  mail  from  the  cable  office,  in  accordance 
with  a  cablegram  from  Australia,  fourteen  thousand 
miles  distant.  Later  it  was  learned  that  a  giver  in 
Australia  had  intended  to  send  the  amount  by  mail, 
but  when  he  thought  that  six  weeks  would  be  required 

120 


"LACKED  YE  ANYTHING?" 

for  the  passage  of  the  letter,  he  decided  to  adopt  the 
quicker  method,  for  fear  the  need  might  be  immediate. 

Of  course  the  work  has  found  many  critics,  but  the 
arguments  of  many  have  been  decisively  ansv^ered  by 
this  statement  made  in  one  of  the  reports  of  the  Mis- 
sion's work: 

"  We  are  well  aware  that  there  are  much  more  im- 
portant matters  in  the  working  of  a  Missionary  So- 
ciety than  finance,  and  the  exercise  of  faith  in  God  is 
by  no  means  limited  to  the  question  of  supply.  We 
are  also  only  too  ready  to  admit  that  the  expression,  a 
'  Faith  Mission,'  is  liable  to  be  grievously  misunder- 
stood. It  seems  to  imply  that  faith  is  the  peculiar 
monopoly  of  the  Mission  we  represent,  and  rather  sug- 
gests that  other  missions,  whose  methods  of  working 
are  different,  are  lacking  in  this  essential  qualification 
for  any  missionary  work.  These  implications  are  far 
from  our  thoughts.  All  we  desire  to  convey  by  the 
expression  is  a  method  of  working,  to  which  we  have 
been  specially  called  of  God,  a  method  whereby  the 
missionaries  themselves  agree  to  assume  the  respon- 
sibility which  generally  falls  on  the  Home  Board  or 
denomination,  and  which  therefore  brings  them  directly 
and  specially  into  dependence  upon  God  himself  for  the 
supply  of  their  daily  needs." 


121 


XXII 
KEEP  ON  PRAYING 

TTOW  the  coming  of  sorrow  and  disappointment 
-*■  -■■  sometimes  darkens  faith !  Yet  this  is  the  very 
time  when  the  Christian  most  needs  a  strong  faith  that 
will  enable  him  to  cast  all  his  care  upon  him  who  cares 
for  his  people. 

Fortunate  is  that  Christian  who,  when  clouds  are 
thick  about  him,  and  the  lessons  learned  from  Christ 
in  the  past  need  to  be  learned  all  over  again,  persists 
in  taking  all  his  doubts  to  God  in  prayer.  Even  if  he 
doubts  everything  else,  let  him  not  doubt  God ;  let  him 
tell  to  God  at  all  times  his  doubts  and  believe  what  he 
says  to  him  as  he  throws  himself  upon  the  Father's 
care. 

There  are  those  who  call  themselves  Christians  who 
do  not  know  what  it  means  to  take  their  doubts  and 
fears  and  anxieties  and  lay  them  thus  before  the 
Lord.  God  asks  them  to  do  just  this  and  he  promises 
to  give  them  the  help  they  need.  To  those  who  are 
ready  to  do  the  best  they  can  for  themselves  God  is 
ready  to  give  his  blessing  if  they  ask  for  it.  As  a 
godly  man  once  said :  "  When  I  have  done  everything 
I  can  and  see  no  clear  way,  I  say  to  myself,  '  God  help 
me,  I  have  brought  out  all  my  judgment,  my  brain  can 
do  no  more,  so  it  may  please  thee  to  give  me  a  push,' 
for  as  soon  as  I  ask  for  help,  help  comes." 

122 


KEEP  OX  PRAYING 

This  was  Jesus'  experience  in  Gethsemane.  While 
he  prayed  the  answer  came,  and  thus  was  according  to 
God's  promise,  "  While  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will 
hear."  That  promise  is  intended  for  everyone  who 
calls  upon  God;  God  will  just  as  surely  answer  us  as 
he  answered  Jesus,  if  we  come  to  him  in  faith.  We 
ask  that  the  tumult  of  our  hearts  may  be  quieted,  and 
instantly,  though  we  have  been  disturbed  by  many 
things,  we  are  at  peace.  Strange  thoughts  of  evil 
visit  our  minds;  we  ask  for  a  vision  of  God  that  these 
may  be  banished,  and  at  once  the  heavens  are  opened 
to  our  view.  We  are  on  the  point  of  yielding  to  temp- 
tation; we  ask  for  strength,  and  we  feel  that  God's 
strong  arms  are  underneath  us.  He  does  keep  his 
word. 

This  thought  of  God's  faithfulness  to  his  promises 
strengthened  Hezekiah  when  he  took  his  perplexities 
to  God  in  prayer.  At  the  very  beginning  he  showed 
the  strength  of  his  faith  by  speaking  of  God  in  some  of 
the  ways  he  knew  him  and  thought  of  him.  He 
thought  of  God  as  the  God  of  armies;  the  God  of  his 
people,  ready  to  fulfil  the  promise  he  had  made  to 
Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob;  the  God  of  the  tem- 
ple in  which  Hezekiah  was  praying;  the  God  of  all 
men  and  nations;  the  God  of  creation  and  providence. 
What  more  did  Hezekiah  want?  This  was  his  God, 
and  he  cast  all  his  care  upon  him. 

What  does  God  mean  to  us?  The  comfort  and 
strength  we  gain  from  prayer  will  depend  in  part  on 
the  extent  of  our  knowledge  of  God.  Our  knowledge 
of  him  must  be  strong  enough  to  withstand  the  sneers 
of  those  who  scoff  at  prayer.     There  are  still  those 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

who  like  to  taunt  Christians  by  declaring  that  their 
faith  is  vain.  God  cannot  give  help,  they  say ;  they  in- 
sist that  we  must  just  look  out  for  ourselves.  But  as 
Napoleon  learned  his  mistake  in  declaring  that  ''  God 
is  always  on  the  side  of  the  biggest  battalions,"  so  will 
all  those  learn  their  error  who  do  not  trust  God  as 
able  to  help  his  people  at  all  times. 

The  blind  men  who  encountered  Jesus  on  the  Jericho 
road  teach  us  a  lesson  of  persistence  in  prayer  in  the 
face  of  insistent  opposition.  They  knew  what  they 
wanted  from  Jesus,  and  they  would  not  allow  any  out- 
side clamor  or  any  interference  from  others  to  come 
in  the  way  of  the  presentation  of  their  petition.  They 
asked  again  and  again  till  they  had  their  desire. 

Do  we  sometimes  pray  for  a  boon,  only  to  have  our 
thoughts  turned  aside  from  it  because  of  some  new 
interest?  If  it  is  worth  while  to  pray,  it  is  worth 
while  to  keep  on  praying. 


124 


XXIII 

TRUSTING  GOD  FOR  DAILY  NEEDS 

lY/TARSHAL  BROOMHALL^  has  given  the  testi- 
•^^^  monies  of  three  missionaries  of  the  China  In- 
land Mission  of  God's  care  of  them  in  the  midst  of 
difficulties  and  privations. 

In  1868  George  Duncan  became  a  missionary  in 
Nanking.  "  Moved  with  compassion  by  the  sight  of 
the  city  with  its  three  or  four  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants without  a  solitary  witness  for  the  Truth,  he 
at  once  determined  to  live  and  labor  there  if  so  be  that 
that  was  possible,  and  what  might  have  appeared  im- 
possible to  most  was  possible  to  him.  The  authorities, 
though  professing  friendship,  yet,  as  has  been  so  fre- 
quently the  case,  secretly  sent  orders  to  every  house- 
holder and  innkeeper  not  to  receive  him.  Such  a  situa- 
tion would  have  deterred  most,  but  not  so  this  noble- 
hearted,  determined  Scotsman. 

"  Situated  in  the  heart  of  many  cities  in  China  is 
what  is  known  as  the  Drum  Tower,  used  among  other 
things  as  a  watchtower  from  which  to  give  the  alarm 
of  fire  or  other  dangers.  George  Duncan  succeeded  in 
making  terms  with  the  man  in  charge  of  this  tower, 
and  was  allowed  to  sleep  from  sunset  to  sunrise  in  one 
of  the  upper  rooms.  Early  every  morning  he  had  to 
roll  up  his  bedding  and  leave.     His  meals  he  took  at 

^  In  "  Faith  and  Facts." 

125 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

some  city  restaurant,  very  much  devoid  of  those  com- 
forts associated  with  the  name  in  this  country,  and  his 
only  resting-places  during  the  day  were  the  public  tea- 
shops. 

'*  What  the  hardships  of  such  a  lot  were  must  be 
experienced  to  be  appreciated.  No  place  of  privacy,  no 
comfort,  but  only  hardship,  suspicion  from  morning  to 
night.  Yet  the  opportunity  was  welcomed  and  the 
gospel  preached  and  tracts  sold  the  whole  day  long. 
As  the  people  became  accustomed  to  his  presence  he 
was  enabled  to  rent  part  of  two  rooms  roughly  par- 
titioned off  from  the  other  part  of  a  house,  and  rough 
as  this  accommodation  was,  it  was  too  good  to  lose. 
But  all  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Duncan  at  Nanking  and  of 
Mr.  Hudson  Taylor  at  Hangchow,  and  a  mutual 
friend  at  Shanghai,  failed  to  discover  any  means  of  re- 
mitting money,  and  without  this  how  could  he  hold 
on?  Yet  the  poor  foothold  obtained  was  too  valu- 
able to  sacrifice,  and  Mr.  Duncan  determined  to  hold 
on.  Mr.  Taylor  urged  him  to  come  down  to  the 
coast  for  supplies,  but  he  feared  that,  did  he  do  so,  he 
might  altogether  lose  his  hard-earned  advantage.  So 
he  determined  to  stay  and  trust  God." 

The  remainder  of  the  story,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  the 
supply  of  Mr.  Duncan's  needs,  was  quoted  by  Mr. 
Broomhall  from  the  account  of  Hudson  Taylor: 

''  I  confess  that  I  was  not  so  happy  as  he  was  about 
this  matter  and  found  it  more  difficult  to  trust  for  him 
than  he  did  for  himself.  Therefore,  when  for  the 
last  time  the  money  I  had  sent  off  was  returned  to  me, 
I  felt  sure  he  must  be  in  want,  and  having  no  trust- 
worthy messenger  by  whom  I  could  send  it,  began 

126 


TRUSTING  GOD  FOR  DAILY  NEEDS 

very  earnestly  to  pray  for  immediate  help  in  this  mat- 
ter. Our  little  band  of  missionaries  were  scattered  in 
opposite  directions,  but  God  brought  one  of  them  to 
Hangchow  to  consult  about  a  matter  of  extension,  and 
when  he  heard  of  Brother  Duncan's  circumstances,  he 
agreed  to  postpone  his  own  matters  and  take  the  money. 

"  After  a  few  words  of  prayer,  we  sallied  out  to- 
gether, found  and  came  to  terms  with  a  boatman  who 
w^ished  to  go  to  Nanking,  and  in  a  very  short  time  I 
saw  them  start  with  a  fair  wind  on  their  long  journey 
of  ten  days  or  a  fortnight.  They  were  remarkably 
prospered  on  their  way,  to  the  surprise  of  the  boatman, 
who  remarked  to  his  missionary  passenger,  Mr.  Rud- 
land,  that  his  God  must  be  the  God  of  the  winds,  for 
whichever  way  the  Grand  Canal  turned  they  had  a 
fair  wind!  They  therefore  passed  Suchow  much 
sooner  than  they  had  expected,  and  made  good  prog- 
ress until  halfway  between  that  city  and  Chinkiang, 
but  on  reaching  the  city  of  Changchow  found  to 
their  dismay  that  the  bank  of  the  Canal  had  given  way, 
that  the  water  had  flooded  the  lowlands  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  that  they  were  unable  to  proceed.  On 
asking  the  boatman  what  was  to  be  done,  he  said  that 
they  might  have  to  wait  there  a  month,  till  the  au- 
thorities repaired  the  banks  of  the  Canal.  This  evi- 
dently would  never  do.  Inquiries  in  the  city  elicited 
that  there  was  a  bridle-path  through  the  fields,  by 
which  four  days  might  he  saved  in  the  journey  to 
Nanking.  A  donkey  was  hired,  the  journey  was  taken, 
and  Nanking  was  reached  several  days  sooner  than  it 
would  have  been  had  not  the  Canal  been  broken. 

"  But  what  had  been  Mr.  Duncan's  experiences  ? 
127 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

He  had  gone  on  quietly  with  his  work,  his  Christian 
servant  economizing  as  much  as  possible  until  the  last 
coin  was  spent.  After  breakfast  one  morning  the  serv- 
ant told  him  that  there  was  nothing  for  dinner,  and 
asked  what  was  to  be  done.  '  Done  ?  '  said  Mr.  Dun- 
can. *  We  must  trust  the  Lord  and  do  good,  so  shall 
we  dwell  in  the  land,  and  verily  we  shall  be  fed.'  Tak- 
ing up  his  handful  of  tracts  and  books  he  was  about 
going  forth  to  his  day's  work,  when  his  servant,  with 
many  apologies,  asked  him  to  accept  as  a  gift  from 
himself  five  dollars  which  he  had  saved  from  his  wages, 
saying  he  knew  he  would  not  accept  them  as  a  loan, 
with  his  conscientious  objection  to  being  in  debt.  Mr. 
Duncan  hesitated,  and  said  to  him,  '  Now,  are  you  not 
really  giving  them  to  me  as  a  loan  after  all?  If  you 
are  saying  to  yourself,  "  Mr.  Duncan's  remittances  are 
sure  to  come  to  hand  some  day,  and  then  he  will  doubt- 
less give  it  back  to  me,"  it  really  would  become  a  loan, 
and  to  take  it  would  be  to  live  upon  anticipated  income. 
If  I  take  it  from  you  as  a  gift,  I  shall  never  return  it 
to  you  whatever  comes  in;  your  reward  shall  be  in 
heaven,  not  on  earth.'  On  being  assured  that  the  man 
wished  it  to  be  an  offering  to  God,  Mr.  Duncan  ac- 
cepted it,  and  they  lived  on  it  together. 

*'  Few  men  knew  how  to  make  money  go  farther 
than  Mr.  Duncan,  and  in  this  he  was  well  seconded  by 
his  servant.  Nevertheless,  this  money  also  came  to  an 
end,  and  again  one  morning  after  breakfast  the  servant 
repeated  his  question,  '  What  is  to  be  done  ? '  adding 
that  his  own  wages  were  all  spent,  and  that  he  was  now 
as  poor  as  his  master.  With  the  same  encouragement 
to  trust  in  God  and  go  on  with  his  work,  Mr.  Duncan 

128 


TRUSTING  GOD  FOR  DAILY  NEEDS 

took  his  books  and  went  out  for  the  day.  In  the  course 
of  that  day,  however,  Mr.  Rudland  arrived  with  the 
money  (to  the  great  deHght  of  the  servant),  and, 
learning  their  position,  saw  very  clearly  why  the  Canal 
bank  had  been  allowed  to  break  and  his  arrival  had 
been  hastened.  As  evening  drew  on  the  servant  began 
to  look  down  the  long  street,  and  when  in  the  distance 
he  recognized  his  weary  master,  he  ran  halfway  down 
the  street  to  meet  him,  saying,  '  It's  all  right,  sir,  it's 
all  right ;  the  dinner  is  ready.  Mr,  Rudland  has  come 
and  brought  the  money.'  Putting  his  hand  on  the 
man's  shoulder,  Mr.  Duncan  said,  '  Didn't  I  tell  you 
this  morning  that  it  was  all  right?  It  is  always  right 
to  trust  in  the  Lord  and  do  good;  so  shall  you  dwell 
in  the  land,  and  verily  you  shall  be  fed.' 

*'  Soon  after  this  Mr.  Duncan  succeeded  in  renting  a 
comfortable  house,  and  might  perhaps  have  remained 
there  in  peace  had  not  the  occurrence  of  a  fire  next 
door  drawn  the  attention  of  the  authorities  to  him,  who 
brought  so  much  pressure  to  bear  upon  his  second  land- 
lord that  Mr.  Duncan  judged  it  wiser  to  retire  to  his 
humbler  quarters;  and  months  elapsed  ere  the  house 
was  finally  secured  in  which  he  lived  and  labored  till 
his  return  to  England." 

G.  Stott,  one  of  the  early  missionaries  in  Wenchow, 
had  this  experience: 

"  Once  I  fell  very  short  of  funds — in  fact,  so  short 
that  I  had  not  a  dollar  in  the  house.  I  was  without  a 
dollar,  I  think,  for  twenty  or  twenty-one  days — I  for- 
get which — and  I  had  nearly  twenty  people  in  the  house 
to  feed.  Now,  how  were  they  to  be  fed?  I  think  this 
will  be  an  illustration  of  God's  faithfulness  to  a  poor, 

129 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

weak  man.  You  know,  I  dare  say,  that  it  is  also  one 
of  our  principles  never  to  incur  debt.  No  matter  what 
may  come,  we  never  will  incur  debt.  My  money  was 
gone  and  my  food  also  was  nearly  exhausted.  Well, 
there  was  a  man  of  whom  I  had  bought  rice  several 
times ;  and  he  came  to  me  one  day  and  said,  '  Mr. 
Stott,  how  is  it  you  have  not  been  to  order  rice  ?  Your 
rice  must  be  out.'  I  replied,  '  Well,  the  rice  is  nearly 
gone,  but  I  cannot  order  any.'  'Why?'  said  he. 
'  Well,  if  you  must  know  the  reason,  it  is  simply  be- 
cause I  have  not  got  the  money  to  pay  for  it.'  Soon 
after  that  he  sent  me  two  loads  of  rice  and  3,000  cash, 
equal  in  value  to  perhaps  ten  shillings  or  twelve  shill- 
ings. Well,  this  rice  also  was  done,  and  the  money  was 
spent;  but  still  no  help  came.  But  when  that  was  gone, 
he  again  supplied  my  need,  and  my  tongue  would  fail 
to  tell  you  the  joy  I  had  with  God  during  those  days.  I 
shall  remember,  I  think,  as  long  as  life  or  reason  re- 
mains, how  I  sat  sometimes  for  two  hours  together 
upon  the  floor  of  my  bedroom  and  lifted  up  my  heart 
to  my  God,  and  sometimes  I  felt  almost  like  stretching 
out  my  hands  to  embrace  my  dear  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.  I  had  some  of  the  nearest  approaches  to 
God  during  those  twenty  or  twenty-one  days  that  I 
ever  experienced  in  my  life,  and  God  kept  me  in  per- 
fect peace.  I  think  I  never  doubted  that  help  would 
come.  Well,  during  the  time  that  I  was  waiting  upon 
God  for  that  help,  I  received  a  letter  from  our  friend 
Mr.  Berger,  informing  me  that  a  young  friend,  who 
was  to  become  my  wife,  had  already  started  from 
England,  and  perhaps  by  the  time  that  I  received  the 
letter  would  be  more  than  halfway  to  China.     I  dare 

1^.0 


TRUSTING  GOD  FOR  DAILY  NEEDS 

say  many  would  think  that  it  was  not  a  very  bright 
prospect  to  get  married  on.  Well,  I  found  God  faith- 
ful, for  before  she  arrived  I  was  delivered  out  of  that 
trouble." 

Dr.  A.  W.  Douthwaite,  who  served  as  a  medical 
missionary  from  1874  to  1899,  told  a  convincing  story : 

"  When  I  was  in  the  city  of  Wenchow,  with  two 
other  families  of  our  missionaries  belonging  to  the 
C.  L  M.,  we  were  a  long  time  without  a  supply  of 
funds.  We  had  run  very  short  of  money,  and  as  it 
drew  towards  Christmas  time,  we  began  to  expect  some 
from  England,  which  was  our  usual  source  of  supply. 
All  the  money  was  used  up,  but  we  said :  '  The  steamer 
will  be  in  at  Christmas,  and  then  we  shall  surely  get 
some  more.'  Christmas  evening  came,  and  with  it  the 
steamer,  but  not  a  cent  of  money  for  us.  Our  hopes 
seemed  dashed  to  the  ground.  We  had  in  our  house 
just  a  little  flour  and  some  potatoes  and  a  few  other 
things.  We  knew  that  we  could  get  no  more  money 
from  our  usual  source  for  probably  fifteen  days,  and 
our  colleagues  in  the  city  were  in  just  about  the  same 
fix.  Just  at  this  time  I  was  subject  to  a  little  tempta- 
tion, for  I  was  offered  a  situation  under  the  Chinese 
Government  for  £800  a  year.  This  would  have  in- 
volved giving  up  missionary  work,  but  God  enabled  me 
to  resist  this  temptation.  I  am  sure  it  was  a  tempta- 
tion from  the  devil.  It  came  just  at  the  time  when  we 
were  depressed  and  had  been  short  of  money  for  a 
long  time ;  and  probably  had  not  my  wife  remained  so 
stanch  and  firm  and  true,  and  so  determined  not  to 
give  up,  I  might  have  yielded.  She  would  not  think 
of  such  a  thing.     Well,  as  I  said,  the  steamer  came, 

131 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

and  with  it  no  money — nothing  to  encourage  us  at  all. 
We  went,  as  usual,  and  told  the  Lord  all  about  it,  for 
we  went  out  to  China  knowing  that  we  had  only  God 
to  depend  upon;  and  we  were  quite  satisfied  that  that 
was  enough  for  us,  and  we  told  our  wants  to  him. 

''  Now  you  will  see  how  that  day  the  Lord,  having 
shut  up  one  source  to  try  our  faith,  opened  others. 
Before  dinner  time,  a  Chinaman  came  along  with  a 
large  piece  of  beef,  and  said,  '  I  want  you  to  accept 
this  as  a  present.  I  have  received  a  great  deal  of 
medicine  from  you.  You  have  done  me  good,  and  you 
would  not  take  any  money.  Will  you  please  take  this  ? ' 
I  took  it,  and  thanked  God  for  it.  Soon  afterwards,  in 
came  another  Chinaman,  a  gentleman,  with  a  coolie 
walking  behind  him  with  a  large  bamboo  over  his 
shoulder,  and  a  basket  hanging  from  each  end.  The 
man  put  the  things  down  in  the  reception  room,  and 
I  was  asked  to  come  down.  I  went  down  and  opened 
the  baskets  and  found  in  them  four  hams,  and  some 
little  things  besides.  He  said,  *  I  want  you  to  accept 
this  as  a  present.'  The  usual  thing  with  a  Chinaman 
is  to  expect  you  to  take  a  little  of  what  he  brings  and 
give  him  back  the  rest;  but  I  saw  that  this  man  in- 
tended me  to  take  all,  and  I  did  so,  and  thanked  God 
for  it.  In  came  another  Chinaman,  with  a  fat  pheasant 
and  some  chickens  and  a  basket  of  eggs,  and  he  asked 
me  to  accept  these;  I  did  accept  them  and  thanked  God 
for  them.  But  that  was  not  all.  Before  evening  a 
European  connected  with  the  consular  service  came 
along,  bringing  with  him  a  coolie  carrying  a  huge  tur- 
key. He  said,  *  See,  I  have  been  feeding  this  turkey 
for  you  for  six  months,  will  you  accept  it  ? '     You 

132 


TRUSTING  GOD  FOR  DAILY  NEEDS 

see  that  the  Lord  knew  six  months  before  that  we  were 
going  to  be  short  on  that  day,  and  he  provided  for  us. 
Thus  we  had  an  abundance  of  food  for  the  whole  of 
us,  ahhough  our  usual  supply  was  cut  off.  Several 
other  things  came  in.  A  week  or  two  before  then  I 
had  my  umbrella  stolen,  and  during  this  day  in  comes 
a  Chinaman  with  a  foreign  umbrella,  a  silk  one.  He 
said,  *  I  have  been  to  Shanghai,  and  I  wanted  to  get  a 
present  for  you,  and  I  did  not  know  what  else  to  get, 
so  I  have  brought  this  umbrella.' 

"  Towards  evening  I  received  a  letter  from  the 
customhouse  officers,  saying  that,  as  I  had  gratuitously 
attended  to  them  in  cases  of  sickness,  they  had  sub- 
scribed to  purchase  a  case  of  instruments  for  me,  but 
not  knowing  what  I  wanted,  would  I  kindly  accept  the 
money?  Of  course  I  kindly  did.  They  sent  with 
the  letter  a  roll  of  seventy  dollars.  Our  hearts  w^ere 
full  of  joy.  We  gave  God  thanks  for  all  that  he  had 
done  for  us;  and  it  is  always  a  joy  to  me  to  look  back 
upon  that  occasion  and  upon  other  similar  occasions, 
and  remember  what  God  has  done.  '  The  young  lions 
do  lack  and  suffer  hunger ;  but  they  that  seek  the  Lord 
shall  not  want  any  good  thing.'  I  have  proved  that, 
and  all  who  trust  in  him  will  also  prove  it." 


133 


SIX 
THE  CALL  AND  THE  RESPONSE 


135 


God  never  would  send  you  the  darkness 
If  he  felt  you  could  bear  the  light; 

But  you  would  not  cling  to  his  guiding  hand 
If  the  way  were  always  bright; 

And  you  would  not  care  to  walk  by  faith, 
Could  you  always  walk  by  sight. 

'Tis  true  he  has  many  an  anguish 
For  your  sorrowful  heart  to  bear, 

And  many  a  cruel  thorn  crown 
For  your  tired  heart  to  wear ; 

He  knows  how  few  could  reach  heaven  at  all 
If  Pain  did  not  guide  them  there  " 


136 


XXIV 

WHEN  GOD  SPEAKS  TO  US 

VT'ES,  to  as.  He  does  not  speak  in  precisely  the  same 
"'■  way  as  to  the  prophets  of  former  days.  That  is 
unnecessary.  We  have  the  Bible,  and  he  speaks  to  us 
through  its  pages. 

You  say  you  have  never  had  a  message  from  him? 

Have  you  never — Bible  in  hand,  prayerfully  reading 
some  passage  to  which  you  had  come  in  course,  or 
perhaps  because  the  pages  had  opened  to  that  place — 
had  the  knowledge  that  the  message  before  you  was  for 
you,  to  supply  some  pressing  need,  to  assure  you  of 
God's  loving  care,  to  turn  you  from  sin,  to  lead  you 
nearer  your  Lord? 

When  you  have  been  upon  your  knees  in  prayer 
have  you  not  sometimes  had  the  feeling  that  God  was 
present  with  you,  or  have  you  not  had  the  answer  to 
your  petition  for  guidance  and  help  in  the  remembrance 
of  some  word  of  Scripture  which  seemed  to  be  the  very 
thing  you  had  desired?  Have  you  not  been  reminded 
of  some  promise,  some  warning,  some  incident  related 
in  the  Bible,  of  which  you  had  not  thought  for  years? 
Have  you  never  been  helped  by  the  memory  ? 

God  pity  you  if  you  have  not,  and  lead  you  to 
know  that  you  have  not  been  living  up  to  your 
opportunities.  God  is  waiting  to  speak  to  you. 
But  to  hear,  you  must  listen.     The  still,  small  voice 

137 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

comes  not  often  to  those  who  are  permitting  cheir 
lives  to  be  filled  full  of  the  clamor  of  the  world 
and  the  turmoil  of  life.  It  does  come  ofcen  to 
those  who,  in  the  closet,  or  in  the  midst  of  their  activi- 
ties, turn  their  hearts  upward,  and  see  God  oy  faith. 
To  these  God  makes  himself  known;  by  these  his  voice 
is  heard;  and  in  their  after  lives  they  recall  with  joy 
the  morning  when,  by  his  Word,  he  showed  the  way  to 
escape  temptation;  or  the  night  of  darkness  and  despair 
when,  by  a  whisper,  he  made  the  darkness  light  and 
the  gloom  radiant  with  his  presence. 

It  was  once  a  Christian's  privilege  to  look  into  the 
Bible  of  one  of  God's  children,  in  which  he  saw  marks 
under  certain  passages.  Dates  were  written  in  the 
margins.  With  reverence  he  turned  the  pages,  for  he 
knew  he  was  looking  on  the  spiritual  diary  of  the  owner 
of  the  Book.  As  he  read  he  was  able  to  guess  some- 
thing of  the  trials  through  which  the  owner  of  the 
Bible  had  lived,  and  the  triumphs  which  he  had 
achieved,  by  God's  blessing. 

A  mark  was  under  the  passage :  "  There  is  there- 
fore now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ 
Jesus."  The  date  followed.  The  story  was  plain,  of 
the  days  when  a  Christian  doubted,  perhaps  because  of 
renewed  sin,  or  discouragement,  or  difficulty,  until 
God  spoke  to  him  from  his  Word  and  sent  peace 
to  his  hearty  by  the  assurance  of  "  no  condemna- 
tion." 

There  was  also  a  mark  beneath  the  passage : ''  There 
is  no  fear  in  love;  for  perfect  love  casteth  out  fear." 
Then  a  date.  The  reader  remembered  nothing  of  that 
day.    But  the  owner  of  that  Bible  probably  remembers 

138 


WHEN  GOD  SPEAKS  TO  US 

it  as  a  day  when,  fearful  of  the  outcome  of  certain 
events,  he  began  to  doubt  God,  until  God  assured  him 
that  "  there  is  no  fear  in  love." 

Opposite  the  date  November  26,  1895,  was  this  pas- 
sage, heavily  underscored :  *'  O  give  thanks  unto  the 
Lord,  for  his  mercy  endureth  forever."  At  once  the 
reader  knew  that  the  record  was  told  of  a  Thanks- 
giving Day  when  the  owner  of  that  Bible  was  looking 
back  over  a  year  which  had  brought  much  of  trouble, 
danger,  or  sorrow.  The  Lord  had  spoken  to  him  in 
his  need,  and  made  his  presence  known.  On  the 
day  set  apart  for  praise  and  thanksgiving  he  was  re- 
joicing. 

The  Bible  was  closed  by  the  reader  with  the  prayer 
that  he  might  be  more  faithful  and  diligent  in  taking 
his  wants,  desires,  and  thanksgiving  to  God;  that  he 
might  feel  God's  Word  coming  to  him;  that  in  future 
years  he  might  be  able  to  recall  days  in  his  life,  not 
merely  by  saying,  "  On  that  day  I  had  a  disappoint- 
ment," ''  On  that  day  I  lost  a  good  position,"  "  On  that 
day  I  made  a  fortunate  investment,"  but  by  saying, 
sometimes,  ''  Then  God  spoke  to  me  and  gave  me  joy 
in  sorrow;  "  "  Then  God  answered  a  prayer;  "  ''  Then 
I  had  the  assurance  of  God's  presence  as  never  be- 
fore." 

Have  you  had  such  red-letter  days?  Are  they 
marked  in  your  mind?  Do  you  recall  the  history  of 
promises,  commands,  directions,  instructions,  in  God's 
Word,  as  you  read  these  from  day  to  day  ? 

Does  the  Word  of  God  come  to  you  with  the  assur- 
ance that  this  particular  message  is  for  you  at  this 
very  moment  ? 

139 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

God's  people  need  to  get  into  touch  with  him  and^ 
his  Word  so  that  his  messages  will  have  a  special  mean- 
ing for  them,  and  will  transform  their  lives.  Then 
will  his  Word  be  indeed  a  lamp  to  their  feet,  and  a 
guide  to  their  path. 


140 


XXV 

THE  ASSURANCE  OF  THINGS 
HOPED  FOR 

IT  was  the  day  of  the  great  football  game.  The 
team  was  ready  to  do  its  best.  But  just  as  the  men 
were  about  to  go  to  the  gridiron  the  head  coach  saw 
that  several  men  were  "  panicky."  So  he  found  a  mo- 
ment to  remind  them  of  the  glorious  victories  won  in 
past  years  by  famous  players.  He  told  them  of  the 
phenomenal  run  of  one  man,  of  the  field  goal  kicked 
by  another,  of  the  half  back  who  persisted  in  playing 
after  several  ribs  had  been  broken.  Then,  seeing  how 
the  nervous  players  had  regained  control  of  them- 
selves, he  was  ready  to  let  them  go  into  the  field. 

The  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  knew  that 
because  of  persecutions  and  hardships  there  was  dan- 
ger that  many  of  the  Christians  would  give  up  their 
faith  in  Christ  and  go  back  to  Judaism.  To  save  the 
day  he  reminded  them  of  man  after  man  who  had  been 
called  on  to  endure  far  greater  difficulties  than  they 
would  have  to  face,  yet  they  were  strong  to  do  and 
to  dare  because  of  their  faith. 

He  told  them  that  "  faith  is  assurance  of  things 
hoped  for,  a  conviction  of  things  not  seen."  It  was 
faith  of  that  sort,  in  a  man,  of  which  a  magazine  writer 
has  told  thus : 

"  In  Japan  an  aspiring  youth  can  adopt  some  man 
141 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

of  eminence  as  his  father,  and  immemorial  custom 
compels  the  person  thus  honored  to  take  and  care  for 
the  foundling,  at  least  till  he  comes  to  the  age  of  self- 
support.  In  1896,  the  fame  of  William  Jennings  Bryan 
penetrated  to  the  cherry  groves  of  Japan  and  fired 
the  ambition  of  a  young  student.  '  I  have  chosen  you 
to  be  my  father,'  he  wrote,  in  effect,  to  the  Nebraskan, 
*  and  I  will  sail  at  once  for  the  United  States.'  One 
morning  Mr.  Bryan,  answering  in  person  a  ring  at  the 
door,  was  confronted  by  a  trim  Japanese  boy,  who  re- 
marked, with  simple  directness,  '  I  have  come.'  The 
lad  was  made  welcome,  and  for  five  years  was  one  of 
the  family.  He  received  the  same  education  as  Mr. 
Bryan's  own  son,  and  then  returned  to  Japan." 

God  wants  us  to  have  faith  like  that  in  him.  If  we 
have,  we  can  bear  whatever  comes  to  us.  Of  course, 
such  faith  may  seem  most  unreasonable  to  those  who 
do  not  know  God.  The  faith  of  a  mission  worker  in 
whose  house  there  was  nothing  to  eat  and  no  money  to 
buy  anything  would  surely  have  seemed  unreasonable 
to  many,  but  that  it  seemed  perfectly  natural  to  him  is 
evident  from  his  own  narrative :  ''  Not  long  since  my 
wife  called  me  to  the  kitchen.  '  I  have  often  heard  you 
say  one  could  put  his  head  into  an  empty  flour  barrel 
and  sing  the  doxology,'  she  said.  '  Now,  here  is  your 
chance.'  There  was  the  empty  flour  barrel ;  I  was  not 
on  a  salary,  and  knew  of  no  money  that  was  coming  in. 
I  said,  '  I  will  put  my  head  in  and  sing,  on  condition 
that  you  will  put  your  head  in  with  me.'  So  we  put 
our  heads  in  and  sang  the  long-meter  doxology. 
Though  no  person  knew  of  our  need,  the  next  day  a 
groceryman  called  with  a  barrel  of  flour.    Who  sent  it, 

142 


ASSURANCE  OF  THINGS  HOPED  FOR 

or  where  it  came  from,  we  do  not  know  to  this  day, 
save  that  we  do  know  that  our  heavenly  Father  knew 
that  we  had  need  of  these  things." 

The  records  of  modern  missions  are  crowded  with 
just  such  stories  of  faith.  Dr.  Chamberlain  told  of 
the  first  convert  in  the  Telngu  country,  a  young  man 
whose  own  father  and  mother  were  ready  to  murder 
him  because  he  would  not  deny  his  faith  in  Christ. 
Finally  he  was  decoyed  away  from  his  Christian 
friends  and  imprisoned.  Furniture,  clothing,  and  all 
food  but  a  little  rice  and  salt  were  taken  from  him, 
and  he  was  told  that  he  would  never  come  out  alive 
unless  he  denied  Christ.  But  he  would  not  yield. 
Every  day  he  knelt  in  prayer.  Finally  he  escaped. 
Then  one  came  to  the  missionaries  and  asked  to  know 
the  secret  of  the  young  man's  endurance. 

Such  actions  may  seem  unreasonable  to  those  who  do 
not  know  God.  But  it  is  the  most  reasonable  thing  in 
the  world  to  those  who  have  taken  God  at  his  word. 
They  have  proved  him  faithful. 


143 


XXVI 

OBEDIENCE  AND  BLESSING 

TN  a  tale  of  South  American  life  I  read  a  story 
-*■  of  obedience,  glad  and  hearty  obedience,  to  the 
words  of  Christ. 

A  traveler  was  lost  in  Chile.  After  hours  of  wan- 
dering he  was  captured  by  Indians,  who  took  him  for 
a  spy.  His  life  was  in  danger.  His  captors  were 
on  the  point  of  putting  him  to  death,  when  suddenly 
all  fell  on  their  faces  to  the  ground,  then  one  by  one 
they  rose  to  their  feet,  mounted  their  horses,  and  rode 
away.     The  traveler  was  alone,  and  safe.     But  why? 

He  wandered  on,  in  search  of  his  companions.  After 
dark  he  reached  a  cabin.  He  begged  for  shelter.  But 
his  reception  was  hostile.  Food  and  a  place  to  rest 
were  refused,  weapons  were  brandished,  and  he  was 
glad  to  depart.  But  before  he  had  gone  many  rods  the 
weapons  were  thrown  down,  and  the  natives  ran  to 
him,  embraced  him,  begged  him  to  enter  the  hut,  and 
receive  the  best  they  had. 

The  night  was  passed  in  safety.  But  the  traveler 
could  hardly  ,sleep  for  curiosity.  What  was  the  cause 
of  this  second  change  in  the  attitude  of  foes,  a  change 
as  sudden  and  mysterious  as  the  first,  when  his  life  was 
saved  ? 

Next  day  he  went  on  his  way.  It  was  not  long 
before  he  fell  in  once  more  with  the  Indians  who,  the 

144 


OBEDIENCE  AND  BLESSING 

day  before,  had  threatened  his  life.  Instead  of  meet- 
ing him  with  hostile  demonstrations,  they  were  ready 
to  worship  him.  They  loaded  him  with  gifts;  he  could 
not  carry  them  all,  they  were  so  many.  He  did  not 
wish  to  take  them,  until  he  saw  the  happiness  of  each 
individual  from  whom  he  received  a  gift.  A  child 
offered  him  a  fire  opal,  and  as  he  took  it  from  her 
hands,  he  was  surprised  to  note  the  beatific  expression 
of  her  face. 

More  curious  than  ever,  he  demanded  an  explana- 
tion. Then  he  learned  the  reason  for  the  mysterious 
salvation  from  death,  the  cordial  reception  at  the  cabin, 
the  loads  of  gifts.  At  the  moment  his  life  was  sought, 
as  at  the  moment  of  his  turning  away  from  the  hut,  the 
natives  had  heard  a  peculiar  bird  cry.  According  to 
their  superstitious  belief,  this  was  the  cry  of  a  night 
bird  which  no  one  had  ever  seen,  an  angel  bird  sent 
by  Christ.  The  bird's  cry  is  the  voice  of  Christ,  and 
that  cry  will,  on  the  instant,  stop  a  battle,  a  dance,  any- 
thing. It  is  a  command,  and  must  be  obeyed.  Further- 
more, when  the  bird  has  called,  it  turns  into  a  traveler, 
and  the  traveler  is  Christ.  Whoever  sees  him  must 
load  him  with  gifts,  and  every  gift  will  bring  a  bless- 
ing from  heaven  to  the  giver. 

It  is  only  a  fable  of  the  superstitious  people  of  Chile. 
But  what  a  commentary  on  the  teaching  of  Christ,  who 
says:  "  If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  commandments." 

Obedience  to  the  commands  of  Christ  will  cause  a 
decided  change  in  our  lives.  He  may  call  on  us  to  give 
up  cherished  plans,  to  surrender  precious  possessions, 
to  endure  discomfort,  and  even  danger.  But  what  of 
that  ?    It  should  be  enough  for  us  that  he  commands. 

145 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

Let  his  command  be  obeyed  as  instantly,  cheerfully,  and 
completely  as  the  ignorant  Indians  of  the  story  obeyed 
what  they  took  to  be  the  voice  of  Christ,  although 
that  voice  demanded  hard  things.  Such  obedience  is 
as  sure  to  bring  a  blessing  to  us  as  to  those  who,  in 
the  story,  ministered  to  the  needy  traveler.  In  giving 
to  him  they  believed  they  were  ministering  to  Christ, 
at  his  bidding.  We  have  the  same  opportunity  of  re- 
ceiving blessing,  for  Christ  has  said :  '*  Inasmuch  as  ye 
have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren, 
ye  have  done  it  unto  me." 


146 


XXVII 

THE  BIBLE  A  PERSONAL  MESSAGE 

/^NE  hundred  and  ten  years  ago  a  Scotch  immi- 
^^  grant,  a  lad  of  twenty-one,  was  ending  his  first 
twenty-four  hours  in  this  country.  During  the  day 
strange  scenes  and  new  faces  had  so  held  his  attention 
that  he  had  forgotten  to  be  homesick.  In  the  evening 
it  was  different.  He  was  lonely,  and  sad,  and  discour- 
aged. Most  unexpectedly,  however,  his  burdens  were 
lightened,  and  his  helart  was  filled  with  peace.  Here 
is  the  story,  as  in  the  later  years  he  told  it  himself : 

"  The  first  night  I  slept  on  shore  was  at  No.  8  Dutch 
Street,  in  an  old  frame  building  with  a  shingled  roof. 
The  weather  was  very  hot,  and  I  slept  in  the  garret, 
with  the  window  open.  About  midnight  it  began  to 
thunder  and  rain  tremendously,  the  rattling  of  the 
heavy  drops  on  the  naked  shingles,  the  constant  blaze 
of  lightning,  the  crashing  roar  of  thunder,  almost 
scared  me  to  death.  Before  this  I  had  never  been 
twenty  miles  from  the  house  in  which  I  was  born.  In 
Scotland  we  have  no  shingle  roofs,  no  thunder,  no  hot 
nights,  no  such  heavy  rain,  no  such  blazing  lightning, 
and  no  loud  thunder.  I  wished  myself  home  again. 
I  slept  no  more  that  night,  but  kept  tossing  about  on 
a  straw  bed,  spread  out  on  some  Albany  boards,  till 
daylight.  When  I  arose,  not  wishing  to  disturb  the 
family  at  three  o'clock,  I  thought  to  while  away  the 

147 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

time  by  opening  my  large  case  of  books.  They  had 
been  three  months  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel,  and  I 
thought  they  might  be  mildewed.  Having  uncovered 
the  case,  on  the  top  of  the  pile  I  found  a  small  pocket 
Bible  in  two  volumes.  It  was  placed  there  by  the  hands 
of  my  father — my  mother  I  never  knew.  I  opened 
the  book  to  see  if  it  had  sustained  any  damage.  My 
eyes  fell  on  the  words,  '  My  Son.'  I  was  thinking  of 
my  father.  I  read  on  with  delight.  Having  finished 
the  last  verse  I  found  I  had  been  reading  the  third 
chapter  of  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon.  Get  a  Bible  and 
read  this  chapter.  Then  suppose  yourself  in  my  situa- 
tion— sore  in  body,  sick  at  heart,  and  commencing  life 
among  a  world  of  strangers,  and  say  if  words  more 
suitable  could  be  put  together  to  fit  my  case.  You  may 
think  as  you  please,  but  I  looked  upon  it  as  a  chart 
from  Heaven,  directing  my  course  among  the  rocks, 
shoals,  and  storm  of  life.  Its  immediate  effect  was  to 
raise  my  hopes,  drive  away  my  fears,  and  add  strength 
to  my  soul.  My  sick  head  and  sore  bones  were  cured 
by  the  impression.  I  went  forth  with  a  light  heart,  to 
work  my  way  through  the  world,  resolved  to  keep  this 
chapter  as  a  pilot  by  my  side." 

And  the  resolution  was  kept.  Other  chapters  were 
read,  and  he  was  surprised  to  find  that  all  of  them  con- 
tained messages  for  him.  Then  he  made  up  his  mind 
that  he  would  take,  not  merely  the  one  chapter,  but  the 
entire  volume,  as  his  pilot  through  life.  He  became 
a  student  of  the  Word,  and  was  soon  so  thoroughly 
grounded  in  his  faith  and  knowledge  that  when 
Thomas  Paine,  the  atheist,  attacked  the  Bible  in  his 
hearing,  he  was  able  to  silence  him  effectually. 

148 


THE  BIBLE  A  PERSONAL  MESSAGE 

There  are  lonely,  homesick,  discouraged  people 
among  us  to-day  who  need  to  make  the  discovery  which 
gladdened  the  heart  of  the  Scotch  lad  on  that  stormy 
night  in  New  York  City.  Strange  that  we  are  so  slow 
to  learn  that  there  is  a  personal  message  for  each  one 
of  us  in  the  Book  which  we  have  been  neglecting, 
and  it  is  just  the  message  which  will  meet  our 
wants.  The  Author  had  our  individual  needs  in 
mind  when  he  inspired  men  to  write  the  different 
parts  of  the  volume.  And  the  messages  thus  prepared 
will  be  understood  by  us  if,  before  we  read,  and  as  we 
read,  we  ask  the  Holy  Spirit  to  enable  us  to  under- 
stand his  mind  and  hear  his  voice  speaking  to  us. 


149 


XXVIII 

LIVING  ON  GOD'S  WORD^ 

T  EONIDAS  HUBBARD  was  the  editor  of  a  maga- 
-*— '  zine  devoted  to  outdoor  life  and  sports.  In  the 
course  of  his  work  for  his  magazine  he  determined  to 
organize  an  expedition  into  the  interior  of  Labrador, 
that  bleak,  barren  country  which  lies  northeast  of  the 
American  continent.  Explorers  have  not  yet  been  able 
to  go  far  into  the  interior,  so  the  country  is  practically 
uncharted.  With  two  companions  Mr.  Hubbard 
started  into  this  unknown  interior.  The  party  had  to 
hurry,  as  the  summer  there  is  very  short.  They  could 
not  carry  much  food  with  them,  so  it  was  necessary 
to  depend  on  the  game  and  fish  killed  by  the  way. 

Ordinarily  the  game  would  have  been  sufficient  for 
their  needs.  But  the  year  was  unusual.  Most  of  the 
game  had  been  killed  during  a  winter  of  great  severity. 

Moreover,  they  lost  their  way.  Instead  of  taking  a 
route  which  had  been  traversed  by  trappers  before 
them  they  followed  an  unknown  stream  where  food 
was  scarcer  than  elsewhere. 

Before  they  had  been  a  month  away  from  the  coast 
they  were  in  straits  for  food.  Then  they  started  to 
return.  Sometimes  fish  were  caught,  but  they  were 
small  and  unsatisfying.    Once  in  a  while  a  few  birds 

'  The  story  is  told  in  "  The  Lure  of  the  Labrador  Wild,"  by 
Dillon  Wallace. 


LIVING  ON  GOD'S  WORD 

were  bagged.  Once,  just  once,  a  deer  was  killed. 
For  the  most  of  the  homeward  journey,  however,  they 
were  almost  entirely  without  food. 

As  they  retraced  their  steps,  they  lived  on  remnants 
which  they  had  thrown  away  as  they  marched  inland. 
One  day  they  found  an  old  flour  sack  containing  a  little 
moldy  flour.  At  another  time  they  found  a  bit  of  mus- 
tard in  a  can.  Again  they  found  a  lard  pail  which  still 
held  some  lard. 

During  these  days  of  privation  two  of  the  party  had 
little  better  than  the  recollection  of  boyhood  days  on  the 
farm,  and  the  bountiful  table  which  had  always  been 
ready  for  them  there.  But  the  third  man,  the  editor, 
was  a  Christian.  He  had  been  accustomed  to  read 
God's  Word.  He  had  found  delight  in  turning  to  one 
passage  after  another.  These  passages  had  been  stored 
in  his  mind.  They  were  ready  for  use  in  any  time  of 
need.  As  Joseph  in  Egypt  stored  up  grain  for  use  in 
time  of  famine,  and  as  Job  had  stored  up  the  words 
of  God's  mouth  more  than  his  necessary  food,  so  Mr. 
Hubbard  had  stored  up  God's  Word  in  his  mind  and 
heart.  Now  was  his  time  of  need.  He  was  starving  in 
body,  but  his  soul  did  not  have  to  starve.  He  had 
food  for  it.  And  in  feeding  his  soul  he  forgot  his 
bodily  sufferings.  He  did  not  grow  fretful  and  peev- 
ish ;  he  grew  more  kindly,  and  thoughtful,  and  loving. 
He  was  feeding  on  God's  Word. 

One  morning  the  three  men  found  that  they  had  a 
very  small  piece  of  bacon  left.  So  they  made  some 
very  thin  bacon  soup.  There  was  not  much  strength 
in  that  soup,  for  on  the  previous  day  they  had  eaten 
three  meals  from  soup  made  with  the  same  piece  of 

151 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

bacon.  After  breakfast  two  of  the  party  turned  away 
to  prepare  for  the  day,  and  to  forget  their  hunger  as 
best  they  could.  But  the  Christian  leader  turned  to 
the  Bible.  He  read  the  Epistle  to  Philemon  and  sev- 
eral of  the  Psalms.  He  called  his  companions,  and  told 
them  of  his  reading.  His  faith  communicated  itself  to 
his  comrades.  They  were  helped.  One  of  them  wrote : 
"  These  readings  brought  with  them  feelings  of  in- 
describable comfort,  and  I  fancy  we  all  went  to  our 
blankets  content." 

Think  of  it !  Content  after  a  feast  of  bones  which 
had  been  lying  on  the  ground  for  weeks ! 

The  seventeenth  chapter  of  John  was  read  on  an 
evening  when  the  only  hope  of  the  party  lay  in  finding, 
next  day,  the  head  and  hoofs  of  the  one  deer  killed 
long  before. 

On  another  day,  when  they  had  been  eating  their 
moccasins,  worn  full  of  holes ;  when  they  had  cracked 
the  dry  bones  found  before  in  search  of  a  little  mar- 
row; when  Mr.  Hubbard  had  fallen  by  the  wayside, 
unable  to  move  for  weakness,  the  words  which  fed 
them  were  those  of  Christ  in  the  sixth  chapter  of 
Matthew :  ''  Be  not  anxious,  for  your  heavenly  Father 
knoweth  that  ye  have  need." 

Next  day  they  killed  a  jaybird.  It  was  their  only 
food  for  twenty-four  hours.  But  Mr.  Hubbard  read 
the  fifteenth  chapter  of  John.  And  as  he  read  of  abid- 
ing in  Christ,  he  forgot  the  world  and  its  sorrows. 

At  the  end  of  another  day  of  suffering,  this  was  writ- 
ten by  one  of  the  party :  "  The  day  has  been  cold  and 
damp.  For  supper  we  had  a  bunch  of  deer  hide,  and 
water  from  the  much-boiled  bones.    As  we  reclined  in 

152 


LIVING  ON  GOD'S  WORD 

the  open  front  of  the  tent  I  again  read  from  the  Bible, 
and  again  a  feeling  of  religious  exaltation  came  over 
Mr.  Hubbard."  He  said  he  was  so  happy.  But  his 
companions  noted  that  his  condition  was  pitiable.  Yet 
he  bore  himself  like  a  hero. 

Next  day  he  gave  out  completely.  He  urged  his 
comrades  to  leave  him,  that  they  might  seek  their 
own  safety.  They  agreed,  hoping  to  return  in  three 
days  with  help  from  the  coast.  Before  the  separation 
Mr.  Hubbard,  too  weak  to  read  himself,  asked  to 
hear  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  First  Corinthians  and 
the  fourteenth  chapter  of  John.  So,  thinking  of  the 
love  which  suffereth  long,  and  the  appeal,  ''  let  not 
your  heart  be  troubled,"  he  watched  the  others  leave 
him. 

We  have  the  record  of  that  last  day  written  by  his 
own  hand,  and  found  long  afterwards  by  the  rescuing 
party.  He  went  within  his  tent.  The  fire  died  out  for 
lack  of  fuel.  He  drew  the  flap  and  lay  down  thinking 
of  the  words :  ''  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled ;  neither 
let  it  be  afraid.  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  And 
I  will  come  again  and  take  you  to  myself." 

The  pencil  dropped  from  his  nerveless  fingers.  He 
fell  asleep,  to  wake  in  the  presence  of  God,  where  he 
would  know  no  more  of  hunger  or  thirst;  where  there 
would  be  no  more  pain,  but  only  the  joy  for  which  he 
had  been  getting  ready  on  earth. 

How  fortunate  Mr.  Hubbard  was!  In  the  words  of 
one  who  commented  on  this  story  of  faith,  food  ''  could 
never  have  healed  his  spirit,  nor  cheered  his  sinking 
soul,  nor  given  hope  to  his  desponding  mind,  nor 
pointed  him  to  the  way  of  rest,  nor  given  assurance 

153 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

of  happiness  beyond  the  grave."  Food  might  have 
given  him  strength  to  get  to  his  New  York  home.  But 
he  had  something  better :  God's  food,  which  gave  him 
strength  to  go  straight  to  his  heavenly  home.  He  had 
learned  the  lesson  Christ  taught  when  he  said :  "  Man 
shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that 
proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God." 


154 


SEVEN 
AS  LITTLE  CHILDREN 


155 


These  lessons  thou   dost  give 
To  teach  me  how  to  live, 
To  do,  to  bear, 
To  get,  to  share, 
To  work  and  play. 
And  trust  alway. 

— Maltbie  D.  Babcock. 


156 


XXIX 
WHY  SHE  WAS  NOT  AFRAID 

'nr^HE  hardest  trials  become  easy  to  him  who  trusts 
-■-  in  God.  That  sounds  Hke  a  truism.  Yet  how 
many  Christians  there  are  who  forget  this  truth  when 
they  most  need  to  remember  it!  It  would  help  such 
Christians  to  read  of  the  experiences  of  a  lonely  im- 
migrant who  was  able  to  write :  "  My  hope  that  the 
Most  High  is  leading  me  to  that  which  he  knows  is 
best  for  me  and  pleasing  to  him  grows  stronger  from 
day  to  day." 

A  little  girl  five  years  old  taught  a  like  lesson  of 
trust  to  her  father  during  a  time  of  depression  and 
doubt.  One  rainy  evening,  as  he  was  about  to  go  out 
on  the  street,  he  asked  her  to  bring  to  him  his  over- 
shoes. He  wondered  why  she  hesitated  before  starting 
to  do  as  she  was  asked.  The  hesitation  was  over 
quickly  and  she  was  already  on  her  way  when  he  real- 
ized why  she  had  waited.  She  was  timid  in  the  dark — 
and  he  had  sent  her  to  a  distant  part  of  the  house ! 

His  impulse  was  to  call  her  back,  but  on  second 
thought  he  decided  to  let  her  go  ahead.  Eagerly  he 
awaited  her  return.  His  own  heart  was  beating  more 
quickly  as  he  followed  her  in  thought  down  the  dark 
stairs,  along  the  dark  hall — he  remembered  then  that 
the  lamp  on  the  newel  post  had  not  been  lighted — 
through  the  dining  room  and  the  kitchen  and  out  into 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

the  shed,  then  back  again  to  the  stairs  and  to  the  room 
where  by  this  time  he  was  pacing  the  floor  in  his 
anxiety  for  her. 

At  length  he  heard  her  step  behind  him.  He  almost 
feared  to  turn  and  look  at  her;  probably  she  would 
be  on  the  verge  of  tears. 

But  when  he  did  see  her  face  he  was  astonished. 
She  was  smiling !    His  surprise  found  expression : 

"  Why,  little  girl,  I  thought  you  were  afraid  in  the 
dark!" 

"  Not  now,  father,"  was  the  glad  response.  "  I  was 
afraid,  once.    But  I  cannot  be  afraid  any  more." 

^'Why,  little  girl?" 

''  Because  of  a  verse  teacher  gave  me  at  Sunday 
school.  I  said  it  over  Sunday  night  when  I  couldn't 
sleep,  and  it  was  dark,  and  I  felt  like  crying — like  this : 
'  I  will  both  lay  me  down  in  peace  and  sleep,  for  thou. 
Lord,  only  keepest  me  in  safety.'  I  wasn't  afraid  any 
more.  To-night  I  didn't  need  the  first  part,  so  I  just 
said  over  the  last  bit,  *  For  thou,  Lord,  only  keepest  me 
in  safety ! '  I  said  that  all  the  way  downstairs  and  all 
the  way  back." 

"  And  what  did  that  mean  to  you,  little  girl  ?  "  her 
father  asked. 

"  Why,  father,  it  seemed  to  me  just  as  if  Jesus  was 
holding  my  hand  all  the  way,  and  you  know  I  couldn't 
be  afraid  then." 


158 


XXX 

A  BOY'S  LESSON 

JOHN  TIMOTHY  STONE,  D.D.,  told  the  author 
of  this  volume  the  following  incident  of  his  boy- 
hood. 

'*  Two  of  three  ladies  who  were  teachers  in  the 
primary  and  junior  department  of  our  Sunday  school 
once  asked  me  if  I  would  go  with  them  on  a  Sunday- 
school  outing  they  were  giving  to  the  little  children. 

"  We  were  to  go  in  one  of  those  old-fashioned 
carryalls  that  would  hold  about  twenty  adults,  and  we 
had  about  thirty  or  thirty-five  children  packed  into 
that  wagon.  Every  precaution  had  been  taken  in  the 
selection  of  a  driver,  but  still  I  felt  somewhat  uneasy, 
as  the  driver  did  not  seem  to  be  entirely  himself.  I 
asked  to  sit  with  him  on  the  front  seat,  and  soon  dis- 
covered that  he  was  under  the  influence  of  liquor. 

"  I  made  an  excuse  to  stop  at  a  certain  store  near 
by,  at  the  top  of  a  long  hill,  at  the  bottom  of  which 
we  were  to  cross  one  of  the  busiest  railroads  in  that 
part  of  New  York  State.  I  went  into  the  store  where 
I  meant  to  get  help.  He  agreed  to  wait  until  I  re- 
turned. What  was  my  surprise  and  alarm,  upon  com- 
ing out,  to  find  that  the  team  was  going  at  full  gallop 
down  this  hill,  and  to  see  in  the  distance  an  approach- 
ing train. 

"  It  was  impossible  to  hail  the  driver;  it  was  impos- 
159 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

sible  to  stop  him.  The  women  and  children  knew 
nothing  of  the  danger,  and  were  rather  enjoying  the 
ride.  I  did  not  know  what  to  do,  so  I  went  in  the 
pasture,  and  kneeling  under  an  apple  tree,  poured  out 
my  heart  to  God,  asking  him  for  his  help  and  protec- 
tion. 

"  A  great  sense  of  peace  came  over  me  at  once. 
Then  I  hurried  down  the  hill,  thanking  God  for  deliver- 
ance as  I  ran,  for  I  felt  sure  that  there  would  be  no 
accident. 

**  And  sure  enough !  the  driver  came  to  his  senses, 
reined  in  the  horses,  and  stopped  at  the  bottom  of  the 
hill. 

"  There  was  no  accident,  but  my  lesson  had  been 
learned.  I  had  realized,  even  as  a  boy,  what  faith  and 
prayer  will  do,  and  that  we  have  a  right  to  leave  a 
situation  with  God  and  trust  him,  after  we  have  done 
our  full  part." 


1 60 


XXXI 

THEIR  SIMPLE  FAITH 

"  TT  seems  to  us  that  Korean  Christians  are  more 
■*■  like  the  Christians  of  apostoHc  days  than  any- 
other  converts  on  the  mission  field,"  a  missionary  who 
has  spent  her  life  in  Korea  has  said;  "  they  delight  in 
the  Bible,  they  are  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  they 
are  men  and  women  of  sublime  faith." 

Rev.  E.  Wade  Koons  ^  has  told  of  a  few  of  the 
converts  whose  lives  bear  testimony  to  the  truth  of  this 
judgment. 

One  of  these  was  Yi,  and  his  story  was  told  thus : 
*'  In  the  winter  of  1906-07  the  churches  in  Korea 
were  the  scene  of  a  remarkable  revival.  It  took  the 
form  of  an  awakening  among  the  Christians,  rather 
than  an  increase  in  the  number  of  those  who  were  giv- 
ing up  their  former  heathen  practices  and  coming  into 
the  church. 

"  Prayer  meetings  were  held  night  after  night,  and 
many  of  the  older  members  made  public  confession  of 
grave  faults  and  grievous  sins.  Many  of  these  ante- 
dated the  conversion  of  the  perpetrators,  and  others 
were  pride  or  anger  or  jealousy,  which  they  would  not 
have  considered  at  all  culpable  in  former  days. 

"  Many  of  the  men  who  made  these  confessions  had 
to  sell  their  houses  or  other  property  to  make  restitu- 

*  In  "  The  Missionary  Review  of  the  World." 
161 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

tion  for  wrongs  that  would  never  have  been  laid  at 
their  door  but  for  these  voluntary  confessions,  and 
more  than  one  unbeliever  was  astonished  to  find  himself 
the  richer  by  several  hundred  dollars,  the  long-delayed 
results  of  some  transaction  of  former  years. 

"  At  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Chung  Wha,  a 
large  town  fifteen  miles  south  of  Pyeng  Yang,  there 
was  a  young  man  named  Yi,  who  had  for  several 
years  been  a  respected  resident  of  the  place  and  had 
joined  the  church  some  months  before  the  revival  be- 
gan. No  one  knew  much  about  him,  and  there  was 
nothing  against  him,  beyond  the  fact  that  he  was  a 
comparative  stranger. 

"  One  night  he  rose  at  the  meeting  and  made  a  con- 
fession substantially  as  follows:  *  Before  I  came  here 
to  live,  I  had  been  the  worst  kind  of  profligate,  and 
after  wasting  all  my  own  property,  I  turned  to  high- 
way robbery  as  a  way  to  eat  and  live.  In  a  robber  raid 
I  killed  a  man  of  such  and  such  a  village  so  many  years 
ago.'  Naturally  the  village  was  much  excited  over  the 
matter,  and  the  news  traveled  as  news  can  in  the  East, 
which  had  a  *  wireless  telegraph '  ages  before  Marconi 
was  born. 

"  The  policemen  at  Whang  Ju,  the  nearest  city, 
thought  they  saw  a  chance  to  turn  a  penny  for  them- 
selves, so  came  and  arrested  the  young  man,  who  dis- 
appointed them  by  saying  philosophically,  'If  I  am 
to  go  to  prison,  prison  is  for  me,'  so  in  a  little  while 
they  turned  him  loose  in  disgust.  So  much  for  the 
Korean  police,  but  it  was  not  long  before  the  Japanese 
police  heard  of  the  matter,  and  Yi  was  informed  that 
they  were  coming  for  him,  and  this  time  all  his  friends 

162 


THEIR  SIMPLE  FAITH 

advised  him  to  run  away,  but  he  refused  to  go,  in- 
sisting that  he  had  no  other  '  mind  '  than  to  take  what- 
ever punishment  was  coming  to  him,  and  in  a  little 
while  he  found  himself  in  the  '  Ka  Mak  So,'  or  com- 
mon prison  at  Hai  Ju,  sentenced  to  fifteen  years.  For 
most  men  a  sentence  like  this  would  be  reason  enough 
for  black  despair,  if  not  for  suicide. 

"  But  Yi  found  that  the  gospel  that  had  prompted 
the  confession  that  brought  him  there,  had  power 
enough  to  comfort  him,  and  while  his  old  mother,  who 
had  followed  him  all  the  way  from  home,  was  manag- 
ing, by  day  labor,  when  she  could  get  work,  and  by  beg- 
ging, when  there  was  no  way  to  earn  a  little  money,  to 
get  food  enough  for  her  son  and  herself  (for  the 
prisoners  must  in  those  days  be  fed  by  their  friends  or 
starve),  he  was  preaching  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
to  the  mixed  and  ever-changing  population  of  the  jail, 
and  like  another  prisoner  '  his  bonds  became  manifest ' 
through  the  whole  province. 

"  His  case  was  finally  taken  up  by  some  friends 
among  the  leading  men  of  the  church,  both  Americans 
and  Koreans.  A  petition  stating  the  facts  of  the  case, 
and  emphasizing  the  voluntary  nature  of  the  confes- 
sion, as  well  as  the  prisoner's  good  conduct  in  jail,  was 
drawn  up,  and  after  it  had  been  signed  by  those  who 
were  in  a  position  to  know  about  the  matter,  was 
presented  to  Chief  Justice  Watanabe,  the  head  of  the 
Japanese  judiciary  in  Korea,  himself  an  elder  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  He  made  a  careful  investiga- 
tion, which  resulted  in  the  pardoning  of  Yi." 

Another  story  of  faith  is  that  of  the  woman  Sang, 
of  Chai  Kyung,  who  was  a  member  of  a  little  church 

163 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

whose  members  suffered  severely  from  persecution. 
Men  fell  away  from  the  church,  and  the  building  was 
about  to  be  sold. 

But  Sang  by  faith  saw  the  day  when  the  little 
church  would  become  a  powerful  witness  for  God  in 
all  that  city.  "  She  bought  the  building,  occupying  it 
as  her  own  home,  opened  a  school  for  boys,  and 
finally  arranged  with  a  neighboring  group  of  Chris- 
tians to  send  a  leader  each  Sunday  to  stimulate  the 
few  disciples  whom  she  could  bring  together." 

Some  years  later  a  mission  station  was  opened  at 
Chai  Kyung.  Sang  rejoiced  at  the  coming  of  the 
missionaries,  and  was  glad  to  cooperate  with  them  in 
the  work  of  the  church.  Soon  the  thirty  believers  who 
had  gathered  around  her  became  two  hundred  and 
fifty.  Before  she  died  the  number  was  about  six  hun- 
dred. "  She  saw  the  building  that  she  had  bought  and 
held  for  a  church  crowded  with  women,  while  the  men 
stood  outside  in  the  freezing  winter  weather.  She 
helped  to  build  the  new  church,  which  was  the  largest 
building  in  the  province."  The  ordinary  Sunday  con- 
gregation gathered  in  this  building  was  seven  hundred 
people  or  more. 

In  the  winter  of  1909-10,  the  Christians  of  Eul  Yul 
decided  to  send  two  of  their  number  to  live  in  a 
heathen  village,  and  work  for  the  salvation  of  the 
people.  Those  chosen  were  Quam  and  his  wife. 
Quam  was  an  old  man,  an  ignorant  farmer,  who  for 
years  had  been  acting  pastor  of  the  Eul  Yul  church. 

When  the  opportunity  was  presented  to  him  and  to 
his  wife,  they  did  not  find  it  difficult  to  decide.  They 
knew  that  life  would  not  be  easy  in  the  heathen  village, 

164 


THEIR  SIMPLE  FAITH 

whch  was  seven  miles  from  their  own  home.  But, 
trusting  God  for  the  future,  they  packed  up  their 
worldly  goods  and  went  out  to  what  must  have  seemed 
like  exile. 

Almost  at  once  a  few  began  to  show  an  interest  in 
the  gospel.  "  At  the  end  of  the  first  year  there  was  a 
congregation  of  twenty  or  more.  At  the  end  of  the 
second  year  a  few  were  ready  to  be  taken  in  as  cate- 
chumens, and  a  man  and  his  wife  came  to  Eul  Yul  to 
be  baptized  and  received  into  the  church.  In  the  spring 
of  19 12,  when  the  missionary  in  charge  went  to  visit 
the  field,  he  found  forty  people  ready  to  be  examined, 
and  he  baptized  thirty  of  them.  In  19 13  the  congre- 
gation averaged  nearly  one  hundred." 

The  island  of  Cho  Do,  ten  miles  off  the  Korean 
coast,  did  not  have  to  wait  for  the  coming  of  a  mis- 
sionary to  hear  the  gospel.  An  old  man,  named  O,  was 
one  of  the  few  inhabitants  of  the  island  who  found 
their  way  to  the  mainland.  He  heard  of  Jesus  Christ 
and  believed  in  him.  At  once  he  made  up  his  mind 
that  it  was  for  him  to  tell  his  neighbors  the  good  news. 
He  was  not  dismayed  by  the  size  of  his  task,  nor  was 
he  troubled  at  thought  of  the  jeers  of  those  who  would 
not  care  for  his  message. 

Wherever  he  went  he  invited  his  neighbors  to  be- 
come Christians.  Some  of  them  would  go  to  his  home 
to  hear  more  of  the  gospel  story.  In  time  a  little  con- 
gregation gathered  on  Sunday  to  listen  to  his  explana- 
tion of  the  Bible. 

Before  long  his  knowledge  was  exhausted.  But  he 
was  not  ready  to  tell  the  people  he  could  give  them  no 
more  help.    He  knew  that  on  the  mainland  were  mis- 

165 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

sionaries  who  would  teach  him.  So  he  crossed  over, 
and  asked  for  admission  to  the  primary  school  at  the 
mission.  There  among  the  small  boys — the  old  man 
sat  on  the  floor  and  learned  the  truth  for  his  people. 
When  spring  came,  he  returned  to  the  island,  and 
once  more  he  gathered  the  eager  learners  about  him. 
In  time  several  of  them,  who  were  men  of  greater  in- 
tellectual power,  advanced  further  than  he  in  Chris- 
tian knowledge  and  experience.  Then  he  was  content 
to  let  them  take  the  lead,  while  once  more  he  took  the 
learner's  place,  rejoicing  as  he  looked  upon  the  com- 
pany of  believers  who  owed  their  coming  out  of  dark- 
ness into  light  to  his  simple  faith. 


i66 


XXXII 

FOUR  CHRISTIANS  WHO  PRAYED 

"/^  NE  of  the  hardest  tasks  I  ever  performed  was 
^^  thrust  upon  me  one  night  when  I  had  to  tell  a 
mother  that  her  daughter  had  been  drowned,"  was  the 
word  of  a  Christian  man  to  friends  who  were  talking 
of  the  test  of  faith.  Then  he  explained  that  he  dreaded 
a  hysterical  outcry. 

But  there  was  no  need  to  fear  for  her.  As  she 
listened  to  the  message,  she  burst  into  tears;  then 
she  fell  on  her  knees  and  prayed  in  wondrous  faith. 
First  she  thanked  God  for  the  years  she  and  her  daugh- 
ter had  spent  together,  and  for  all  that  those  years  had 
meant  to  her,  and  to  their  friends.  Then  she  asked 
for  strength  to  bear  her  loss  in  such  a  way  that  she 
might  be  a  help  and  not  a  hindrance  to  others  who 
knew  sorrow  and  suffering. 

"  Never  before  did  I  so  realize  the  strength  of  the 
Christian  faith,"  said  the  man  who  had  dreaded  to 
tell  the  news.  *^  The  reality  of  faith  in  God  was  im- 
pressed on  me  as  never  before." 

The  story  of  another  Christian's  prayer  of  faith  was 
once  told  by  Dr.  A.  T.  Pierson : 

"  More  than  half  a  century  ago  George  Miiller  began 
to  pray  for  a  group  of  friends.  I  asked  Mr.  Miiller  a 
short  time  before  he  died  if  he  had  asked  anything  of 
God  that  had  not  been  granted,  and  he  told  me  he 

16;; 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

had  prayed  sixty-two  years,  three  months,  five  days, 
two  hours — with  his  mathematical  precision — for 
two  men  to  be  converted,  and  neither  of  them  showed 
any  signs  of  that  happening.  I  said,  '  Do  you  expect 
God  to  convert  them  ?  '  '  Certainly.  Do  you  suppose 
that  God  would  put  upon  his  child  for  sixty-two  years 
the  burden  of  two  souls  if  he  had  no  purpose  of  their 
conversion?'  Shortly  afterward  he  died,  and  I  was 
preaching  in  his  pulpit,  in  Bristol,  and  referred  to  this 
occurrence.  As  I  was  going  out  a  lady  said :  '  One  of 
those  men  was  my  uncle,  and  he  was  converted,  and 
died  a  few  weeks  ago.'  I  understand  that  the  other 
man  was  brought  to  Christ  in  Dublin." 

One  whose  faith  has  helped  thousands  has  reported 
the  case  of  the  mother  of  four  children  who  was 
suddenly  bereft  of  her  husband.  She  took  up  her 
burden  with  calmness  and  patience,  toiling  early  and 
late  that  her  children  might  obtain  an  education.  A 
friend  said  to  her  one  day,  "  Do  you  never  get  tired  or 
discouraged?"  "Oh,  yes!"  was  the  reply;  "quite 
often,  but  when  I  think  I  can  go  no  further,  or  do  no 
more,  I  go  and  rest  in  my  easy-chair."  "  Easy-chair?  " 
said  her  friend,  looking  around  the  bare  room.  "  Yes," 
said  the  woman,  "  would  you  like  to  see  it  ?  Come 
with  me."  She  led  her  into  a  small,  scantily  furnished 
bedroom,  and,  taking  her  by  the  hand,  knelt  by  the  bed- 
side, and  the  toil-worn,  burdened  woman  prayed  as  if 
she  was  face  to  face  with  God.  Rising,  she  said, 
"  Now  I  feel  rested,  and  am  ready  for  work  again. 
Prayer  is  my  easy-chair." 

There  is  no  home  so  low  or  humble,  no  life  so  bare 
or  destitute,  but  can  have  the  easy-chair  of  prayer. 

i68 


FOUR  CHRISTIANS  WHO  PRAYED 

The  author  of  ''  A  Struggle  for  a  Soul  "  has  told 
of  a  convert  from  Hindooism  who  early  learned  to 
have  recourse  to  this  easy-chair :  She  longed  to  spend 
a  Sunday  with  other  Christians  in  praise  and  prayer. 
But  there  were  no  other  Christians  in  the  village ;  and 
she  felt  sad  and  lonely.  Moreover,  all  the  villagers 
were  going  to  their  ordinary  field  work,  and  expected 
her  to  do  the  same.  However,  she  resolved  to  keep 
that  Sunday.  Tying  some  cold  rice  in  a  bundle,  and 
calling  a  neighbor's  little  daughter,  she  set  out  for  a 
lonely  place  in  the  hills  far  away  from  the  village. 
There  she  held  services.  She  knew  only  two  lyrics,  but 
these  she  sang  over  and  over  again,  and  told  the  little 
girl  with  her  the  few  stories  she  knew  about  Jesus,  and 
in  two  or  three  broken  sentences  offered  prayer.  At 
midday  they  ate  the  cold  rice  and  lay  down  to  rest, 
then  sang  the  lyrics  again ;  and  as  the  sun  went  down 
she  returned  to  the  village,  her  heart  comforted  and 
gladdened,  she  knew  not  how.  "  Where  have  you  been 
all  day?"  asked  the  astonished  neighbors.  ''It's  the 
Christians'  holy  day,"  she  replied;  "we  have  been 
keeping  it  in  the  wilderness." 

Those  who  sneer  that  faith  is  nonsense,  that  prayer 
is  an  empty  form,  can  find  no  answer  to  testimonies  like 
these. 


169 


XXXIII 
A  THANKFUL  WOMAN 

"1 T /"HEN  I  first  saw  her,  she  was  forlorn,  discour- 
^^     aged,  sad,  and,  if  the  truth  must  be  told,  dirty. 

She  lived  in  a  two-room  tenement  in  a  back  alley. 
The  chance  visitor  climbed  the  outside  stairs  to  her 
door  with  fear  and  trembling;  he  was  sure  the  next 
step  would  bring  the  structure,  and  him,  to  the  ground. 

The  interior  was  as  forlorn  as  the  housewife;  a  few 
broken  bits  of  furniture,  an  old  stove,  a  bare  floor. 
Seven  children,  all  under  working  age,  found  shel- 
ter there,  and,  the  explanation  of  all  the  wretchedness, 
a  drunken  husband.  The  babe  was  too  young  to  permit 
the  mother  to  go  out  to  wash,  as  she  had  been  accus- 
tomed. With  no  outlook  beyond  the  alley,  is  it  strange 
if  she  was  forlorn? 

Then  a  Sunday-school  teacher  found  his  way  into 
the  room.  He  had  places  in  his  class  for  such  likely 
boys  as  her  three  eldest.  Would  they  come?  They 
had  been  asked  that  question  many  times  before  and 
had  scorned  the  invitation.  But  they  took  a  fancy  to 
this  manly  young  fellow,  and  hunted  him  up. 

Within  a  few  weeks  there  was  a  transformation; 
clothes  and  shoes  were  brushed,  after  a  fashion;  and 
hands  and  faces  were  washed — that  is,  to  definitely 
marked  lines  on  wrists  and  neck. 

Then  the  mother  became  interested  and  found  the 
170 


A  THANKFUL  WOMAN 

way  to  church.    She  kept  on  coming,  went  through  the 
cleansing  process,  and  united  with  the  church. 

The  chance  visitor  to  the  home  noted  improvements. 
The  floor  was  just  as  bare,  but  it  was  scrubbed.  The 
furniture  was  still  decrepit,  but  it  seemed  to  have  been 
(in  some  way)  rejuvenated.  Every  inch  of  the  two 
rooms  was  improved,  though  it  would  have  been  diffi- 
cult to  define  the  improvement. 

The  husband  still  drank.  He  abused  wife  and  chil- 
dren for  going  to  church.  But  somehow  she  was 
happy.  The  forlorn,  discouraged  look  was  a  thing  of 
the  past. 

She  was  found  in  the  prayer  meeting,  as  well  as  at 
the  church  services.  While  others  took  part,  she  lis- 
tened attentively.  Sometimes  the  leader  thought  she 
was  about  to  speak,  but  each  time  reserve  conquered, 
and  she  was  silent.  At  length,  after  three  years, 
when  the  pastor  under  whose  ministry  she  had  united 
with  the  church  was  about  to  leave,  she  felt  she  could 
not  wait  longer.  It  was  his  last  prayer  meeting.  The 
testimonies  had  taken  a  thanksgiving  turn  when  she 
saw  her  opportunity: 

"  I  want  to  tell  how  happy  I  am,  and  how  good  God 
has  been  to  me,"  she  began.  *'  We  have  a  comfort- 
able home,  and  clothing  to  keep  us  warm ;  my  children 
have  enough  to  eat  and  to  drink;  there  is  coal  for  the 
fire,  and  a  little  money  for  the  church.  I  can't  read, 
but  I  get  to  go  to  service,  and  God  teaches  me  out  of 
the  Bible.    Yes,  he  has  been  good  to  me." 

As  she  ceased,  her  eyes  were  filled  with  tears.  Many 
wept  with  her.  How  could  they  help  it,  when  they 
knew  what  was  back  of  the  earnest  testimony? 

171 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

Yes,  she  had  a  home — the  home  with  the  rickety 
stairs,  paid  for  week  after  week  by  scrubbing  brush 
and  washboard,  though  she  had  Httle  strength  for  the 
lightest  tasks.  The  family  had  clothes — only  the  most 
wretched  second-hand  dealer  would  have  looked  at 
them.  There  were  food  and  drink  enough,  in  a  way, 
for  the  children;  not  for  herself.  Coal — when  she 
would  gather  it  from  the  tracks,  or  could  persuade  the 
boys  to  find  it  for  her.  Church — paid  for,  frequently, 
by  a  knock-down  blow  if  her  lord  and  master  chose  to 
give  it  when  she  returned.  Money  for  the  offering — 
yes,  sometimes  all  her  living,  given  with  the  spirit 
which  called  forth  the  Lord's  commendation  of  the 
widow. 

There  was  silence  for  a  space  in  that  prayer-meeting 
room.     Then,  spontaneously,  there  was  the  sound  of 


"  Praise  God   from   whom   all  blessings   flow ; 
Praise  him  all  creatures  here  below; 
Praise  him,  above,  ye  heavenly  host; 
Praise  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost." 


172 


EIGHT 
IN  GOD'S  KEEPING 


173 


"  Not  as  I  will !  "—the  sound  grows  sweet 
Each  time  my  lips  the  words  repeat. 
"  Not  as  I  will !  " — the  darkness  feels 
More  safe  than  light  when  this  thought  steals 
Like  whispered  voice  to  calm  and  bless 
All  unrest  and  all  loneliness. 
"  Not  as  I  will " — because  the  One 
Who  loved  us  first  and  best  has  gone 
Before  us  on  the  road,  and  still 
For  us  must  all  his  love  fulfill — 
"Not  as  we  will." 

—Helen  Hunt  Jackson. 


174 


XXXIV 

THE  GOOD  HAND  OF  OUR  GOD 

T3  Y  the  kindness  of  the  king  of  Babylon,  a  company 
"^  of  captive  Jews  was  permitted  to  return,  under  the 
guidance  of  Ezra,  to  their  own  city,  Jerusalem,  where 
they  were  to  rebuild  the  temple  and  reestablish  divine 
worship.  Many  were  eager  to  take  advantage  of  the 
offer.  Life  was  easier,  perhaps,  in  Babylon,  but  it  was 
a  foreign  land,  and  they  had  not  the  opportunity  to 
worship  God  as  they  were  bidden,  in  his  own  temple. 
God  can  be  worshiped  anywhere,  and  some  of  the  peo- 
ple realized  this.  Yet  they  longed  for  the  city  made 
sacred  by  many  generations  of  seeking  God  there. 

The  king  offered  Ezra  a  guard  of  soldiers  for  the 
long  desert  journey.  But  Ezra  would  not  take  them; 
he  preferred  to  teach  the  people  by  example  that  his 
dependence  was  on  God,  who  would  guide  and  protect 
those  who  believed  in  him.  He  said  to  the  king,  in 
answer  to  his  offer,  ''  The  good  hand  of  our  God  is 
upon  all  them  for  good  that  seek  him." 

Ezra  had  ground  for  his  confidence.  God  had  been 
with  him  and  had  blessed  him.  He  was  glad  to  give 
his  testimony  in  gratitude  for  God's  guidance  and 
blessing. 

Ezra  was  not  the  only  one  to  testify  in  this  way. 
Millions  have  testified.  The  Bible  is  full  of  the  record, 
and  each  record  throws  new  light  on  the  words  of 

175 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

Nehemiah :  "  The  good  hand  of  our  God  is  upon  all 
them  for  good  that  seek  him." 

Nehemiah  spoke  of  God's  hand  as  a  powerful  hand 
when  he  asked  for  God's  blessing  for  his  people  *'  whom 
thou  hast  redeemed  by  thy  power  and  by  thy  strong 
hand." 

Jacob  spoke  of  God's  hand  as  a  strengthening  hand 
when  he  gave  his  dying  blessing  to  his  son  Joseph. 
He  mentioned  the  fact  that  Joseph  had  been  in  sore 
trouble,  "  but  his  bow  abode  in  strength,  and  the  arms 
of  his  hands  were  made  strong  by  the  mighty  God  of 
Jacob." 

David  thought  of  God's  hand  as  an  upholding  hand. 
Speaking  of  the  man  who  trusts  in  God,  he  said: 
"Though  he  fall,  he  shall  not  be  utterly  cast  down; 
for  the  Lord  upholdeth  him  with  his  hand."  Again  he 
prayed:  "  Thy  right  hand  upholdeth  me."  God's  peo- 
ple have  the  assurance  of  God  himself  that  he  will 
strengthen  them.  These  are  his  words :  **  Fear  thou 
not,  for  I  am  with  thee;  be  not  dismayed,  for  I  am 
thy  God;  I  will  strengthen  thee;  yea,  I  will  help  thee; 
yea,  I  will  uphold  thee  with  the  right  hand  of  my 
righteousness." 

Moses,  in  giving  his  farewell  to  the  Israelites,  whom 
he  had  led  out  of  Egypt,  said :  ''  The  eternal  God  is  thy 
refuge,  and  underneath  are  the  everlasting  arms." 

The  hand  of  God  is  a  healing  hand.  When  a  leper 
came  to  Jesus,  saying,  "  Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst 
make  me  clean,"  it  is  written,  *'  And  the  Lord  put 
forth  his  hand  and  healed  him." 

God's  hand  is  a  providing  hand.  One  of  the  Jews 
wrote  of  God :  *'  Thou  openest  thy  hand  and  satisfiest 

176 


THE  GOOD  HAND  OF  OUR  GOD 

the  desire  of  every  living  creature."  This  was  the  ex- 
perience of  missionary  fugitives  in  China  in  the  days 
of  the  Boxer  uprising.  Stripped  almost  naked,  the 
fugitives  had  escaped  for  the  moment  from  the  pursu- 
ing mob.  "  Worn  out  with  all  that  we  had  already 
gone  through  that  day,  rain-bedraggled  and  oh!  so 
hungry,  our  plight  seemed  more  hopeless  than  ever. 
It  was  just  now,  when  in  some  dejection  we  were  wan- 
dering on  to  we  knew  not  what  of  fresh  buffetings  and 
cruelty,  that  the  Lord  gave  us  another  token  that  he 
was  with  us  and  tenderly  caring  for  us.  .  .  .  Two  men 
were  seen  coming  over  the  field,  and  presently  they 
called  for  us.  Not  knowing  whether  they  were  for  or 
against  us,  Sheng-min  answered  the  summons,  and 
after  a  word  with  them  bade  us  come.  One  of  the 
two  proved  to  be  a  gentleman  from  Lu-an  city.  With 
much  compassion  in  his  look  and  voice,  he  said :  *  I  am 
sorry  for  you.  I  would  assist  you,  but  am  helpless  to 
do  so.  Certain  death  awaits  you;  you  cannot  escape 
it.  There  are  people  there  and  there  (pointing  warn- 
ingly)  waiting  to  kill  you.  I  would  urge  you,  how- 
ever, under  any  circumstances,  to  avoid  the  village 
before  you.  And  yet  I  know,'  he  added, '  that  you  can- 
not go  far  without  losing  your  lives.  It  is  very,  very 
hard  for  you,'  and  with  that  he  handed  me  twenty-five 
cash,  saying,  '  Take  this;  it  is  all  I  have  on  me.'  His 
companion  then  came  forward,  and,  without  saying 
more  than  '  K'o  lien,  k'o  lien ' — '  I  am  so  sorry  for 
you ' — thrust  into  my  hand  a  tin  of  condensed  milk 
which  he  had  recovered  from  the  plundered  supply  of 
our  litters.  What  these  words  and  acts  of  mercy  meant 
to  us  at  that  juncture  I  cannot  express.     We  were 

177 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

much  moved.  .  .  .  Again  and  again  we  thanked  our 
kind  benefactors  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 

God's  hand  is  still  more — it  is  a  defending  and  de- 
livering hand.  It  gives  physical  deliverance.  In  the 
words  of  the  Psalmist :  "  God  brought  Israel  out  from 
among  them  with  a  strong  hand  and  with  a  stretched- 
out  arm." 

That  God  gives  spiritual  deliverance,  David  testified 
when  he  said,  *'  Into  thy  hand  I  commit  my  spirit," 
while  Isaiah  said,  '*  Behold  the  Lord's  hand  is  not 
shortened  that  it  cannot  save." 

This  is  an  attractive  picture,  surely.  And  the  best 
of  it  is  everyone  has  the  privilege  of  having  the  good 
hand  of  Ezra's  God  laid  upon  him,  to  strengthen,  to 
uphold,  to  heal,  to  provide,  to  defend,  to  deliver. 


178 


XXXV 
GOD  IN  OUR  EVERYDAY  LIFE 

"  f  F  all  the  reasoned  arguments  in  support  of  Chris- 

-■•  tianity  were  destroyed,"  says  Robert  E.  Speer, 
"  Peter  Carter  and  the  two  or  three  men  like  him  I 
have  known  would  remain  for  me  as  its  impregnable 
basis  and  defense." 

The  secret  of  Peter  Carter's  life  was  that  he  lived 
with  God.  He  was  on  familiar  terms  with  God.  His 
face  was  always  lighted  up  from  within  by  the  light 
of  Christ.  During  his  last  days  he  was  often  heard 
murmuring,  *'  My  dear  Lord  Jesus !  My  dear  Lord 
Jesus !  "    And  they  were  very  dear  to  one  another. 

His  children  loved  him,  for  their  instincts  told  them 
that  he  was  one  of  God's  friends.  Once  a  visitor  to  a 
Sunday  school  asked  the  children  if  they  knew  who 
the  Good  Shepherd  was.  "Oh,  yes!"  they  replied; 
''  Mr.  Peter  Carter."  And  he  was  to  them  truly  the 
representative  of  that  Good  Shepherd  who  took  the 
lambs  in  his  bosom. 

There  is  no  mystery  about  such  a  life.  Its  power 
came  from  abiding  in  God's  presence.  Mr.  Carter  was 
not  content  with  visiting  God  now  and  then,  but  he 
sought  him  continually.  He  practiced  the  presence  of 
God  as  faithfully  as  Brother  Lawrence,  the  Carmelite 
monk  in  Paris,  who  said  of  his  life :  "  The  time  of 
business  does  not  with  me  differ  from  the  time  of 

179 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

prayer;  and  in  the  noise  and  clutter  of  my  kitchen, 
while  several  persons  are  at  the  same  time  calling  for 
different  things,  I  possess  God  in  as  great  tranquillity 
as  if  I  were  on  my  knees  at  the  blessed  sacrament." 
He  asked  God's  help  in  every  little  thing,  and  help 
was  never  lacking.    He  did  his  work  in  God's  presence. 

Christians  are  accustomed  to  think  of  Bible  reading 
and  prayer  as  means  of  seeking  God  and  learning  to 
know  him.  But  it  is  not  easy  to  realize  that  the  hours 
not  devoted  to  these  exercises  may  be  spent  with  God 
just  as  surely. 

"  Some  of  my  happiest  moments  of  communion  with 
my  Father  are  the  moments  when  I  hold  to  a  strap 
in  the  crowded  street  car  or  when  I  sit  at  my  desk, 
with  work  crowding  me  hard,"  a  busy  man  has  said. 
He  could  understand  the  words  of  Brother  Lawrence : 

"  It's  a  great  delusion  to  think  that  the  time  of 
prayer  should  be  different  from  other  times.  We  are 
as  strictly  obliged  to  adhere  to  God  by  action  in  the 
time  of  action  as  by  prayer  in  the  time  of  prayer." 

When  the  appointed  time  of  prayer  was  past  he 
turned  to  the  business  of  the  day  and  said  to  God: 
"  O  my  God,  since  I  must  now,  in  obedience  to  thy 
commands,  apply  my  mind  to  these  outward  things,  I 
beseech  thee  to  grant  me  thy  grace  to  continue  in  thy 
presence.'* 

The  man  who  lives  thus  in  the  presence  of  God 
is  safe  from  all  danger.  There  is  in  the  West  a  species 
of  antelope  that  prepares  a  place  for  its  young  by 
springing  into  a  thick  clump  of  cactus  and  trampling 
down  the  plants  in  the  center  of  the  clump.  There  the 
young  antelope  is  reared.     No  enemy  can  pass  the 

1 80 


GOD  IN  OUR  EVERYDAY  LIFE 

barrier  of  cactus  to  reach  the  helpless  fawn,  though 
the  mother  can  jump  in  and  out  at  will.  So  God  places 
his  people  who  abide  in  him  under  his  wings.  He  can 
reach  them,  but  no  enemy  can  come  near.  They  are 
safe. 

But  does  not  evil  sometimes  come  to  the  Christian? 
Does  he  not  have  sorrows  and  disappointments,  anxie- 
ties and  burdens  ?  Then,  what  is  the  use  of  being  God's 
man? 

The  answer  is  easy.  Better  is  It  to  know  misfortune 
and  have  God's  help  in  it,  than  not  to  be  unfortunate 
at  all.  Better  to  be  afflicted  and  comforted  by  him  than 
to  be  free  from  anxiety  and  pain  and  have  nothing 
from  God. 

The  Christian's  blessing  comes  in  the  ability  to  take 
everything  to  God  and  in  the  realization  that  God  is 
ready  to  help  him  at  all  times,  for  he  says : 

"He  shall  call  upon  me,  and  I  will  answer  him; 
I  will  be  with  him  in  trouble; 
I  will  deliver  him  and  honor  him. 
With  long  life  will  I  satisfy  him, 
And  show  him  my  salvation." 


i8i 


XXXVI 

GOD  KNOWS 

/'^OD  knows  our  temptations.  He  understands  ex- 
^^  actly  how  hard  it  is  for  us  to  do  what  he  asks  of 
us.  He  does  not  expect  impossibilities.  "  He  knoweth 
our  frame;  he  remembereth  that  we  are  dust."  The 
architect  knows  to  an  ounce  just  what  every  girder  in 
the  steel  building  can  stand,  and  he  apportions  the 
loads  accordingly.  God  knows  what  we  can  stand,  if 
we  trust  in  his  strength  and  not  in  our  own,  and  he 
permits  no  temptation  to  come  to  us  that  we  cannot 
resist.  His  knowledge  has  been  tested  by  his  own  ex- 
perience, for  Jesus  was  ''  in  all  points  tempted  like  as' 
we  are,  yet  without  sin." 

God  knows  our  good  points.  There  is  no  need  to 
fear  that  he  will  not  appreciate  every  evidence  of 
desire  to  please  him.  This  is  a  comfort  when  we  are 
misunderstood  by  some  of  those  about  us.  Christ  said, 
when  he  saw  Nathanael  approaching  him,  "  Behold  an 
Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  is  no  guile !  "  He  looked 
upon  the  rich  young  man  and  loved  him,  because  he 
knew  all  that  was  good  in  him.  Shall  we  not  see  to  it 
that  there  is  something  worthy  for  God  to  see  when 
he  looks  on  us? 

God  knows  our  bad  points,  every  one  of  them.  It  is 
of  no  use  to  hide  them  from  him.  We  may  succeed  in 
deceiving  others,  but  we  cannot  deceive  God.  To  the 
woman  of  Samaria,  Jesus  revealed  her  inmost  heart,  so 

182 


GOD  KNOWS 

that  in  wonder  she  sought  her  friends,  saying,  ''  Come, 
see  a  man  who  told  me  all  things  that  ever  I  did."  The 
best  thing  for  us  to  do  is  to  submit  ourselves  to  God's 
searching  gaze,  that  he  may  tell  us  all  that  is  wrong  in 
our  lives.    The  revelation  must  come  before  the  cure. 

To-day  God  uses  his  knowledge  of  the  evil  in  our 
lives  to  warn  us  of  our  danger  and  call  us  to  repentance. 
This  was  the  meaning  of  his  words  to  Cain,  *'  Sin  couch- 
eth  at  the  door,"  of  his  message  to  David,  ''  Thou  art 
the  man,"  of  Christ's  words  to  Peter,  "  Satan  asked 
to  have  you,  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat."  Blessed 
is  that  man  who  heeds  the  warning  when  it  is  given  to- 
day, and  by  fleeing  to  Christ  prepares  himself  for  that 
time  when  God  shall  use  his  knowledge  of  the  hearts  of 
men  to  warn  the  unrepentant,  "  Depart  from  me,  ye 
cursed." 

God  knows  the  disappointments  that  are  in  store  for 
us,  and  he  shows  us  how  to  avoid  them.  When  Israel 
demanded  a  king,  he  warned  them  that  a  king  would 
bring  them  sorrow,  yet  they  persisted,  saying,  ''  Nay; 
but  we  will  have  a  king."  God  tells  us  that  the  way 
to  avoid  disappointments  is  to  give  our  lives  into  his 
charge,  and  let  him  do  as  he  will  with  us. 

God  knows  what  we  need  before  we  ask  him.  Then 
why  ask  him  for  anything?  Why  not  simply  leave 
everything  in  his  hands,  confident  that  he  will  supply 
all  our  needs?  Simply  because  this  is  not  his  wish. 
He  says,  "  Ask  and  it  shall  be  given  you." 

God  knows  us  and  he  knows  everything  about  us. 
Then  what?  Faith,  of  course,  absolute,  unquestioning 
faith.  How  wonderfully  God  blesses  those  who  trust 
him  fully! 

183 


XXXVII 

IN  UNEXPECTED  WAYS 

T  ONG  years  the  people  of  Judah  lived  in  captivity 
-■— '  in  Babylon,  where  they  had  been  taken  as  a  pun- 
ishment for  national  and  personal  sin.  Their  hearts 
were  sad  as  they  thought  of  their  own  land  and  their 
longing  to  go  back  to  it.  But  they  began  to  fear  that 
the  day  of  return  would  never  come,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  God  had  promised  he  would  restore  them  to 
their  own  land. 

But  God  is  a  God  of  love ;  he  is  ever  mindful  of  his 
people.  They  were  far  from  home,  but  he  did  not 
forget  them.  His  enemies  said  he  was  a  God  powerful 
only  in  certain  districts;  that  outside  of  the  land  by  the 
Mediterranean  his  power  was  of  no  avail.  But  God 
showed  that  his  people  were  not  beyond  the  reach  of 
his  loving  care.  They  were  still  within  the  circle  of 
his  hand,  still  upheld  by  his  mighty  arm.  He  remem- 
bered them  and  the  days  when  they  served  him.  He 
told  them  that  even  if  he  had  forsaken  them,  or  seemed 
to  forsake  them,  it  was  only  for  a  moment ;  that  with 
loving-kindness  he  would  draw  them  back  to  home  and 
native  land.  God  mindful  of  his  own :  that  is  the  God 
presented  to  our  view  in  this  first  chapter  of  Ezra,  as  he 
is  presented  to  our  view  every  day  of  our  lives. 

He  had  promised  Abraham  and  Isaac  and  Jacob  not 
to  forsake  their  seed.     He  had  promised  David  that 

184 


IN  UNEXPECTED  WAYS 

the  kingdom  should  continue.  He  had  promised,  and 
he  would  perform.  The  people  had  heard  his  word  that 
he  would  restore  them  to  their  place;  restored  they 
should  be,  and  that  right  speedily. 

But,  then,  how  would  he  do  this?  Cyrus  was  a 
powerful  king.  Yes,  but  God  is  King  of  kings.  Not 
only  is  he  powerful  in  the  heavens,  but  upon  the  earth 
there  is  none  who  can  stay  his  hand  or  say  unto  him, 
''What  doest  thou?"  No  one;  not  even  the  mighty 
king  of  Persia  himself,  who  was  feared  for  a  thousand 
miles  around,  who  had  subdued  provinces  and  king- 
doms almost  without  number,  who  never  thought  of 
resistance  being  offered  to  his  word !  Cyrus  was  king, 
but  God  was  King  over  Cyrus.  Cyrus  was  powerful, 
but  God  was  more  powerful  than  he.  And  Cyrus  was 
to  do  what  God  wanted  him  to  do,  just  because  God 
wanted  him  to  do  it. 

With  a  God  like  that  what  reason  had  the  banished 
Israelites  for  despair?  With  a  God  like  this,  what  rea- 
son has  any  man  to  despair? 

What  an  unlikely  instrument  Cyrus  would  have 
seemed  for  the  deliverance  of  Israel!  How  many 
times  the  Israelites  must  have  smiled  as  they  read  the 
prophecy  in  Isaiah  which  seemed  to  indicate  that  Cyrus 
would  send  them  back  home.  "  Some  other  Cyrus 
must  be  meant  in  the  word  of  prophecy,"  they  would 
say,  "  Surely  not  this  haughty  king  whose  lowest 
courtiers  pass  us  with  scorn,  whose  thoughts  are  never 
given  to  us,  except  to  glory  in  our  exile.  Deliverance; 
yes,  it  may  be,  some  day,  but  not  by  the  hand  of 
Cyrus." 

Cyrus  himself  would  have   thought  it   unlikely — 

185 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

beforehand.  Probably  crushing  the  Israelites,  punish- 
ing them,  torturing  them,  would  have  been  more  to  his 
way  of  thinking.  But  release  them,  help  them  home, 
assist  them  in  rebuilding  their  ruined  homes  and 
capital — hardly  that! 

But  all  that  seemed  so  unlikely  came  to  pass.  For 
God  spoke  to  Cyrus,  and  Cyrus  set  himself  to  obey 
God's  will.    "  The  Lord  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  Cyrus." 

Thus  Cyrus,  the  haughty  eastern  monarch,  Cyrus, 
the  unlikely,  became  the  ready  instrument  in  God's 
hands  for  the  doing  of  his  will. 

All  honor  to  Cyrus.  He  might  have  resisted  the 
Spirit  of  God  when  his  spirit  was  stirred  up.  Men  do 
resist  God,  to  their  sorrow.  But  Cyrus,  stirred  by  the 
Spirit,  turned  to  do  the  Lord's  will. 

God  is  never  at  a  loss  for  some  one  to  do  his  will. 
God's  work  is  to  be  done.  Men  fret  sometimes  because 
they  see  it  lag  so;  there  is  so  much  opposition. 
Wickedness  seems  triumphant.  Christians  are  help- 
less, or  think  they  are.  ''  The  world  is  going  to  the 
dogs,"  they  say.  The  difficulty  with  them  is  that  they 
are  forgetting  about  God,  who  rules  the  affairs  of  all 
men. 

God  is  mindful  of  the  world's  needs.  He  has  prom- 
ised; his  promises  are  in  his  Word.  Men  must  read 
them,  believe  them,  must  work  and  pray  for  their  ful- 
fillment, and  the  reward  will  come,  the  reward  of  those 
who  seek  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  For  God  brings 
about  glorious  results  in  the  most  unexpected  ways  and 
from  the  most  unlikely  quarters. 

Consciously  or  unconsciously,  the  world's  leaders, 
as  well  as  more  obscure  men  and  women,  are  assisting 

1 86 


IN  UNEXPECTED  WAYS 

the  progress  of  the  gospel.  Under  secular  auspices 
scientists  go  to  the  ruined  cities  of  the  East  and  dis- 
cover long-buried  proofs  of  the  authenticity  of  state- 
ments in  the  Bible.  Scoffers  for  years  sneer  at  the 
Bible  because  it  mentions  a  certain  Roman  governor 
who  never  ruled,  they  say.  But  a  coin  is  dug  from 
the  dirt  of  a  little  Mediterranean  isle,  and  lo !  the  pic- 
ture and  name  of  the  governor  appear  as  the  Bible 
said. 

So  God  uses  the  researches  of  the  archeologist,  the 
geologist,  and  the  astronomer.  His  kingdom  is  has- 
tened by  the  telegraph  and  the  railway.  These  have 
been  built  for  other  purposes;  God,  the  all-powerful, 
employs  them  for  his  ends. 

As  Cyrus  seemed  a  most  unlikely  instrument  for 
the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  yet  was  used,  so  in  the 
Middle  Ages  it  seemed  as  though  the  Church  of  God 
v^s  in  danger  of  extinction  through  decay.  But  God 
used  one  of  the  most  unlikely  instruments  to  lead 
the  battle  against  the  vices  which  were  sapping  the  life 
of  his  church. 

So  in  every  age,  in  every  country,  there  are  men — 
unlikely  men,  the  world  would  say — who  hear  God's 
voice,  then  quietly  go  ahead  and  execute  his  commands. 
There  was  a  John  the  Baptist  in  the  days  before  Christ, 
there  was  a  Paul  in  the  days  after  Christ.  There  has 
been  in  our  own  time  a  Judson  opening  the  way  to 
heathen  lands.  But  no  one  would  have  chosen  these  men 
for  the  work  they  did.  There  has  been  a  Lincoln  to 
emancipate  the  slaves,  and  a  Grant  to  lead  the  Union 
armies  to  victory.  There  has  been  a  Moody  to  inspire 
the  Church  and  to  lead  thousands  to  the  cross.     Un- 

187 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

likely  instruments,  all  of  them,  men  would  have  said; 
but  God  thought  otherwise. 

He  stirred  their  hearts  to  do  his  work,  and  to-day 
he  is  stirring  the  hearts  of  others. 

Some  resist,  and  their  lives  amount  to  little  or 
nothing.  Some  try  to  follow  where  God  leads.  In 
proportion  to  their  obedience,  they  are  successful. 


i88 


XXXVI II 
THE  SLEEPLESS  WATCHER 

A  PICTURE  popular  in  many  homes  represents  a 
-^  ^  little  child  leaning  over  the  brink  of  a  precipice 
in  the  attempt  to  pick  a  flower.  Hovering  over  him 
is  the  figure  of  an  angel,  watching  him  with  hand  out- 
stretched, ready  to  pluck  him  out  of  the  way  of  danger. 
That  is  a  picture  of  God's  dealings;  he  is  the  sleepless 
guardian  of  those  who  give  themselves  to  him,  for  pro- 
tection. 

He  will  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee, 
To  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways. 
They  shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  hands, 
Lest  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone. 

Dangers  come  to  those  who  trust  God,  as  to  all  men. 
But  they  are  not  overwhelmed.  Deliverance  is  given 
to  them  from  their  troubles.  It  is  impossible  for  dis- 
aster to  overtake  the  children  of  the  ever-watching 
God.  Disasters  may  come,  but  they  are  not  real  dis- 
asters; blessing  will  come  out  of  them,  for  God  has 
promised. 

A  rebuke  was  given  to  those  who  complain  be- 
cause of  their  hard  lot  in  life  when,  in  a  daily 
newspaper,  a  letter  was  printed  from  a  woman 
who  had  gone  to  work  in  a  factory  when  she 
was  thirteen  years  old.  After  a  few  years  she 
married.     Soon   after,    her   husband   contracted   con- 

189 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

sumption,  and  the  burden  of  the  family's  support 
was  thrown  on  her.  Because  of  rheumatism,  she  had 
to  work  with  her  right  hand  bandaged,  then  with  both 
hands  bandaged,  and  she  could  only  crawl  to  her  worl^. 
The  husband  died.  Abscesses  on  the  hand  compelled 
the  widow  to  relinquish  work.  Hand  and  foot  had  to 
be  operated  on;  part  of  one  foot  and  all  of  the  right 
hand  were  taken  away.  She  learned  to  write  with  her 
left  hand.    Her  old  employer  kept  her  at  work. 

And  she  wrote — to  complain?  No;  to  tell  how 
happy  she  was.  But  how  could  she  be  happy  ?  Let  her 
tell  her  own  secret: 

"  Happiness,  I  knew,  must  come  from  within.  If  I 
had  not  physical  charms,  I  could  at  least  be  sweet  and 
gentle.  It  is  not  for  me  to  tell  you  how  I  have  suc- 
ceeded, but  I  do  know  that  I  am  not  unhappy.  My 
great  ambition  is  to  keep  this  little  home  over  our 
heads.  It  is  a  struggle,  I  will  admit;  but,  oh,  what  a 
satisfaction  to  know  one  is  conquering!  If  I  wished, 
I  could  worry  over  the  fact  that  old  age  will  be  creep- 
ing on  and  nothing  laid  by,  but  I  run  away  from  such 
thoughts  and  leave  it  with  God.  .  .  .  Oh,  I  could  not 
be  unhappy  when  God  gives  me  these  beautiful  seasons 
to  enjoy,  and  a  few  friends  who  make  me  feel  that  I 
am  of  some  use!  Nature  and  books  and  nature  in 
books  are  my  greatest  pleasure/' 


190 


NINE 
IN  TIME  OF  TRIAL 


191 


"Though  we  pass  through  tribulation, 

All  will  be  well; 
Ours  is  such  a  full  salvation, 

All,  all  is  well ! 
Happy  still  in  God  confiding, 
Fruitful,  if  in  Christ  abiding, 
Holy,  through  the  Spirit's  guiding, 

All  must  be  well. 

"We  expect  a  bright  to-morrow, 

All  will  be  well ; 
Faith  can  sing  through  days  of  sorrow. 

All,  all  is  well ! 
On  our  Father's  love  relying, 
Jesus  every  need  supplying. 
Or  in  living,  or  in  dying. 

All  must  be  well." 


192 


XXXIX 
FAITH  AND  MEANS 

OOMETIMES  what  is  called  faith  is  merely  pre- 
^  sumptuous  folly,  the  folly  of  which  Jesus  refused 
to  be  guilty  when  he  was  tempted  to  cast  himself  from 
the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  in  dependence  on  the  prom- 
ise, "  He  shall  give  his  angels  charge  concerning  thee 
...  on  their  hands  they  shall  bear  thee  up,  lest  haply 
thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone."  Jesus  told  the 
tempter  deliberately  to  throw  himself  in  the  way  of 
danger,  at  the  same  time  expecting  the  fulfillment  of 
the  promise,  would  be  making  trial  of  God. 

J.  Hudson  Taylor  ^  has  told  how  he  learned  this  les- 
son during  his  first  voyage  to  China  on  the  Dumfries, 
which  sailed  from  the  home  port  on  September  19, 
1853.  From  the  beginning  the  voyage  was  trying. 
He  said: 

"  We  had  scarcely  left  the  Mersey  when  a  violent 
equinoctial  gale  caught  us,  and  for  twelve  days  we  were 
beating  backwards  and  forwards  in  the  Irish  Channel, 
unable  to  get  out  to  sea.  The  gale  steadily  increased, 
and  after  almost  a  week  we  lay  to  for  a  time;  but 
drifting  on  a  lee  coast,  we  were  compelled  again  to 
make  sail,  and  endeavored  to  beat  off  to  windward. 
The  utmost  efforts  of  the  captain  and  crew,  however, 
were  unavailing;  and  the  night  of  Sunday,  September 

*  In  "A  Retrospect." 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

25,  found  us  drifting  into  Carnarvon  Bay,  each  tack 
becoming  shorter,  until  at  last  we  were  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  the  rocks.  About  this  time,  as  the  ship,  which 
had  refused  to  stay,  was  put  round  in  the  other  direc- 
tion, the  Christian  captain  said  to  me,  *  We  cannot  live 
half  an  hour  now :  what  of  your  call  to  labor  for  the 
Lord  in  China  ? '  I  had  previously  passed  through  a 
time  of  much  conflict,  but  that  was  over,  and  it  was  a 
great  joy  to  feel  and  to  tell  him  that  I  would  not  for 
any  consideration  be  in  any  other  position;  that  I 
strongly  expected  to  reach  China;  but  that,  if  other- 
wise, at  any  rate  the  Master  would  say  it  was  well  that 
I  was  found  seeking  to  obey  his  command. 

"  Within  a  few  minutes  after  wearing  ship  the  cap- 
tain walked  up  to  the  compass,  and  said  to  me,  *  The 
wind  has  freed  two  points ;  we  shall  be  able  to  beat  out 
of  the  bay.'  And  so  we  did.  The  bowsprit  was  sprung 
and  the  vessel  seriously  strained ;  but  in  a  few  days  we 
got  out  to  sea,  and  the  necessary  repairs  were  so  thor- 
oughly effected  on  board  that  our  journey  to  China  was 
in  due  time  satisfactorily  accomplished. 

"  One  thing  was  a  great  trouble  to  me  that  night.  I 
was  a  very  young  believer,  and  had  not  sufficient  faith 
in  God  to  see  him  in  and  through  the  use  of  means.  I 
had  felt  it  a  duty  to  comply  with  the  earnest  wish  of 
my  beloved  and  honored  mother,  and  for  her  sake  to 
procure  a  swimming-belt.  But  in  my  own  soul  I  felt  as 
if  I  could  not  simply  trust  in  God  while  I  had  this 
swimming-belt ;  and  my  heart  had  no  rest  until  on  that 
night,  after  all  hope  of  being  saved  was  gone,  I  had 
given  it  away.  Then  I  had  perfect  peace;  and,  strange 
to  say,  put  several  light  things  together,  likely  to  float 

194 


FAITH  AND  MEANS 

at  the  time  we  struck,  without  any  thought  of  incon- 
sistency or  scruple.  Ever  since,  I  have  seen  clearly  the 
mistake  I  made — a  mistake  that  is  very  common  in 
these  days,  when  erroneous  teaching  on  faith-healing 
does  much  harm,  misleading  some  as  to  the  purposes  of 
God,  shaking  the  faith  of  others,  and  distressing  the 
minds  of  many.  The  use  of  means  ought  not  to  lessen 
our  faith  in  God;  and  our  faith  in  God  ought  not  to 
hinder  our  using  whatever  means  he  has  given  us  for 
the  accomplishment  of  his  own  purposes. 

''  For  years  after  this  I  always  took  a  swimming-belt 
with  me,  and  never  had  any  trouble  about  it;  for  after 
the  storm  was  over,  the  question  was  settled  for  me, 
through  the  prayerful  study  of  the  Scriptures.  God 
gave  me  then  to  see  my  mistake,  probably  to  deliver  me 
from  a  great  deal  of  trouble  on  similar  questions  now 
so  constantly  raised.  When  in  medical  or  surgical 
charge  of  any  case,  I  have  never  thought  of  neglecting 
to  ask  God's  guidance  and  blessing  in  the  use  of  appro- 
priate means,  nor  yet  of  omitting  to  give  him  thanks 
for  answered  prayer  and  restored  health.  But  to  me 
it  would  appear  as  presumptuous  and  wrong  to  neglect 
the  use  of  those  measures  which  he  himself  has  put 
within  our  reach  as  to  neglect  to  take  daily  food,  and 
suppose  that  life  and  health  might  be  maintained  by 
prayer  alone." 


195 


XL 

PROVING  THEIR  FAITH 

AN  Eastern  monarch  made  a  most  unreasonable  de- 
-^  ^  mand  of  a  neighboring  king,  and  boasted  of  the 
terrible  punishment  he  would  visit  upon  the  neighbor 
if  his  wishes  were  not  gratified.  But  the  neighbor 
returned  a  message  of  defiance :  "  Let  not  him  that 
girdeth  on  his  armor  boast  himself  as  he  that  putteth 
it  off."  Or,  as  the  words  have  been  paraphrased, 
"  The  time  to  crow  and  flap  your  wings  is  after  you 
have  fought." 

Always  there  are  people  who  need  to  learn  that  it  is 
one  thing  to  utter  loud  boasts,  and  an  entirely  different 
thing  to  carry  them  out.  Peter  was  eager  to  give 
protestations  of  loyalty  to  Christ,  but  when  he  was  put 
to  the  test  he  failed  miserably.  John  Mark  started  out 
confidently  in  his  missionary  labor  with  Paul,  but  when 
difficulties  beset  him,  he  turned  back,  discouraged. 
"  Let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he 
fall,"  is  the  warning  word. 

No  one  has  greater  need  to  keep  that  warning  in 
mind  than  the  Christian  who  tells  what  he  thinks  he 
would  do  in  time  of  disaster.  Perhaps  he  believes  his 
faith  would  be  strong  enough  to  bear  him  up  under  any 
conceivable  difficulty,  and  so  does  not  hesitate  to  say 
so.    Yet  many  Christians  have  found  it  easier  to  make 

196 


PROVING  THEIR  FAITH 

high-sounding  phrases,  when  all  is  going  well,  than  to 
live  in  accordance  with  these  when  things  go  wrong. 

It  is  helpful  to  read  of  a  recent  instance  when  faith, 
put  to  a  severe  test,  stood  firm. 

In  March,  19 14,  there  was  joy  among  the  students 
of  Wellesley  College  because  the  team  which  repre- 
sented the  institution  in  an  intercollegiate  debate  had 
been  victorious.  On  Monday  morning,  March  16,  dur- 
ing an  address  in  Chapel,  President  Pendleton  referred 
to  the  event.  After  congratulating  the  students  on  the 
result  of  the  contest,  she  said: 

"  It  is  a  fine  thing  to  be  enthusiastic  over  victory; 
it  is  a  better  thing  to  learn  enthusiasm  from  defeat." 

Early  next  morning  the  alarm  of  fire  sounded.  The 
main  building  of  the  college  was  burning!  Quickly 
scores  of  students  made  their  way  to  safety.  No  one 
was  able  to  save  anything  but  the  clothes  hastily  thrown 
on.  For  an  hour  or  more  they  gazed  as  the  great  build- 
ing was  destroyed. 

Now  note  how  well  teachers  and  students  stood  the 
test  of  faith.  Three  hours  after  the  alarm  of  fire  they 
gathered  for  the  morning  chapel  service.  One  who  was 
there  says  there  were  "  no  tears,  no  nervous  whisper- 
ings, nothing  to  show  what  a  terrible  ordeal  some  of 
the  worshipers  had  survived.  A  serene  gravity  and 
quiet  marked  the  attitude  of  all  present.  The  choir, 
many  of  whom  had,  only  three  hours  earlier,  escaped 
from  the  burning  building,  marched  up  the  aisle  sing- 
ing, 

"  O  God,  our  help  in  ages  past." 

After  the  responsive  reading  of  Psalm  91,  beginning, 
**  He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  most  High 

197 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty,"  Miss 
Pendleton  read  a  brief  passage  from  the  end  of  the 
eighth  chapter  of  Romans,  concluding  in  a  voice  of  un- 
forgettable exaltation,  "  For  I  am  persuaded  that 
neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities, 
nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor 
height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able 
to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus,  our  Lord."  Then  she  announced  that  the  spring 
term  would  begin  at  the  time  already  set,  April  7,  and 
charged  all  students  to  register  in  the  Library  by  one 
o'clock  that  day.  Nothing  could  have  have  been  a  bet- 
ter challenge  to  college  loyalty.  Instead  of  yielding  to 
discouragement  and  despair,  she  made  her  hearers  feel 
that  there  was  work  to  do,  and  that  the  first  duty  of 
all  was  to  rally  undaunted  to  support  academic  life,  al- 
lowing no  obstacle  to  stand  in  the  way  of  completing 
the  college  year.    After  singing 

"  Who  trusts  in  God,  a  strong  abode 
In  heaven  and  earth  possesses," 

the  choir  marched  out,  the  college  dispersed  quietly, 
and  plans  were  begun  for  meeting  the  most  momentous 
crisis  in  the  history  of  the  college. 

A  professor  of  philosophy  who  lost  everything  in  the 
fire  spoke  a  challenge  that  showed  the  reality  of  her 
own  faith.  She  said :  "  I  have  spent  all  my  life  teach- 
ing people  that  the  things  that  are  seen  are  temporal, 
and  now  we  have  the  chance  of  our  lives  to  prove  that 
the  things  that  are  unseen  are  eternal." 

That  was  like  the  faith  of  Job,  who,  when  he  lost 
everything  he  possessed,  said :  "  The  Lord  gave  and  the 

198 


PROVING  THEIR  FAITH 

Lord  hath  taken  away;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  It  was  Hke  the  faith  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  who, 
on  January  21,  1826,  after  hearing  of  the  failure  of  his 
publishers,  wrote:  *' Things  are  so  much  worse  than 
I  apprehended  that  I  shall  neither  save  Abbotsford  nor 
anything  else.  Naked  we  entered  the  world  and  naked 
we  leave  it.  Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord."  Com- 
menting on  this  entry,  his  biographer  wrote :  *'  The 
sentiments  of  resignation  and  of  cheerful  acquiescence 
in  the  dispensations  of  the  Almighty  which  he  ex- 
pressed were  those  of  a  Christian  thankful  for  the 
blessings  left,  and  willing,  without  ostentation,  to  do 
his  best.  It  was  really  beautiful  to  see  the  workings 
of  a  strong  and  upright  mind  under  the  first  lash  of 
adversity,  calmly  reposing  upon  the  consolation  offered 
by  his  own  integrity  and  manful  purposes." 

There  is  so  much  inspiration  in  reading  of  faith  like 
this  that  we  pity  the  people  who,  like  Charlotte  Bronte's 
Ginevra  Fanshawe,  have  "  an  entire  uncapacity  to  en- 
dure"; who  "seem  to  sour  in  adversity."  Miss 
Bronte  suggests  that  a  man  who  takes  such  a  woman 
for  his  wife  ''  ought  to  be  prepared  to  guarantee  an 
existence  all  sunshine." 

A  guarantee  like  that  is  as  impossible  as  it  would 
be  unwise,  except  as  the  guarantee  is  given  by  him 
who  teaches  his  people,  *'  He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret 
place  of  the  most  High  shall  abide  under  the  shadow 
of  the  Almighty,"  and  so  enables  them  to  say, 
"  Though  I  walk  in  the  midst  of  trouble,  thou  wilt  re- 
vive me."  To  them  life  is  always  sunshine  because 
they  always  see  the  light  of  God's  countenance. 


199 


XLI 

WHEN  GATES  WERE  CLOSED 

TN  1894  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  F.  Ridley  and  a  Mr.  Hall 
^  were  doing  evangelistic  work  for  the  China  Inland 
Mission  in  Sining,  a  city  on  the  borders  of  Kokonor, 
and  far  on  the  way  to  Tibet.  They  worked  for  twelve 
months  in  peace.  Then,  during  a  Mohammedan  rising, 
siege  was  laid  to  the  city. 

Before  the  gates  were  closed,  the  missionaries 
thought  of  fleeing  to  their  friends  in  a  distant  city. 
They  knew  that  to  stay  and  face  a  siege  was  a  terrible 
outlook,  and  that  if  the  city  should  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  rebels  the  consequences  would  be  even  more 
dreadful. 

But  "  after  earnest  prayer  to  God  for  guidance,  God 
showed  them  what  he  would  have  them  do,  and  he 
graciously  took  out  of  their  hearts  any  fear  in  doing  it.^ 

"  By  this  time  the  city  gates  were  closed  and  letters 
could  neither  be  sent  nor  received.  For  long  weary 
months  Hudson  Taylor  and  others  at  the  coast  waited 
eagerly  for  tidings  and  for  some  opportunity  of  send- 
ing supplies.  Of  this  time  Mr.  Taylor  subsequently 
said :  *  It  was  a  time  of  great  suspense  and  of  much 
prayer.  We  did  rest  in  the  Lord  and  knew  that  he 
was  doing  the  best  thing,  but  we  felt  a  very  great  re- 
sponsibility to  be  instant  in  prayer  for  these  dear  mis- 

'  Told  in  "  Faith  and  Facts."' 

200 


WHEN  GATES  WERE  CLOSED 

sionaries,  for  we  knew  not  what  their  necessities  or 
their  straits  might  be  at  any  given  time.  We  only  knew 
that  they  were  alive  by  one  thing,  and  that  was  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  led  us  to  constant  prayer  for  them,  and  we 
were  sure  that  the  Spirit  of  God  never  taught  anyone 
to  pray  for  the  dead.' 

*'  While  friends  outside  the  city  were  thus  interced- 
ing on  their  behalf,  the  little  band  within  the  city  were 
daily  casting  their  care  upon  God  and  finding  that  he 
cared  for  them.  Their  money  came  to  an  end,  and 
their  little  stock  of  supplies  came  to  an  end,  but,  to 
quote  again  Mr.  Taylor,  *  God  had  not  come  to  an 
end,  and  here  is  the  beauty  of  the  principle  upon  which 
we  rest — the  faithfulness  of  God.'  There  was  plenty 
of  money  for  them  at  the  coast,  and  some  was  sent,  but 
it  never  reached  them.  For  live  and  a  half  months 
they  had  not  so  much  as  any  communication  even  with 
the  nearest  mission  station,  and  no  letters  or  supplies 
could  reach  them  for  nine  months.  But  God  was  with 
them,  close  at  hand,  and  he  provided  for  all  their  need, 
and  probably  during  those  terrible  months  they  were 
enabled  to  do  more  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  more  to 
teach  the  people  that  there  was  a  living  God,  than 
many  years  of  ordinary  service  would  have  accom- 
plished. Let  us  see  how  their  time  was  spent  and  how 
God  provided. 

"  Some  ten  days  after  the  rebellion  had  broken  out 
in  the  city  neighborhood  a  poor  old  beggar  came  to  the 
door.  He  had  a  sore  leg  and  he  asked  for  medicine, 
that  he  might  get  it  healed.  When  tending  the  old 
man  he  said,  *  Don't  you  think  you  might  go  down 
and  do  a  little  good  to  some  of  the  poor  wounded  peo- 

20I 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

pie  lying  in  the  temple  of  the  god  of  literature  ? '  As 
the  workers  had  been  seeking  for  guidance  as  to  the 
best  work  to  do,  they  thought  this  might  be  a  call. 
Ordinary  preaching  to  the  people  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, and  the  street  chapel  had  had  to  be  shut,  but  it 
might  be  possible  to  help  the  sick  and  wounded.  So 
down  they  went  to  the  temple,  and  such  a  sight  met 
their  eyes  as  they  had  never  expected  to  see. 

"  Here  were  one  hundred  and  twenty  poor  people  in 
the  most  abject  state  of  need;  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren who  had  been  lashed,  cut,  and  lacerated  by  the 
rebels,  and  who  had  in  that  most  pitiable  condition 
dragged  themselves  some  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  to 
this  poor  place  of  shelter.  The  majority  of  them  had 
been  from  eight  to  ten  days  on  the  road.  To  stop  the 
flowing  of  their  blood  the  poor  people  had  plastered 
themselves  with  mud,  with  such  results  as  can  be  more 
easily  imagined  than  described  As  it  was  already  dusk 
and  no  artificial  light  was  possible,  there  was  nothing 
for  it  but  to  return  to  the  mission  house  and  make  such 
preparations  as  were  possible,  and  then  wait  until  the 
morning. 

"  The  morning  came,  and  away  Messrs.  Hall  and 
Ridley  went.  But  the  real  condition  of  the  sufferers 
was  worse  than  had  been  imagined,  the  dusk  of  the 
night  before  having  made  a  thorough  examination 
impossible.  With  wounds  undressed  for  days  and 
even  weeks,  and  huddled  together  with  not  even  the 
most  elementary  provision  for  sanitary  arrangements, 
the  condition  of  the  poor  people  was  repulsive  in  the 
extreme.  Even  the  Chinese,  who  are  strangely  un- 
affected by  sights  and  smells  which  almost  overcome 

202 


WHEN  GATES  WERE  CLOSED 

the  European,  stood  at  a  distance,  and  would  not  come 
near,  and  the  Chinese  doctors  with  their  wide  sleeves 
placed  over  mouth  and  nose  would  not  give  help  in 
any  way. 

"  While  the  abject  needs  of  the  people  appealed  to 
all  that  was  sympathetic  in  the  missionaries,  yet  the 
conditions  were  such  as  to  make  them  almost  physically 
unable  to  help  through  sheer  sickness  and  revulsion. 
They  felt  that  they  needed  special  strength  from  God 
for  such  work  and  for  this  they  looked  not  in  vain. 
Strength  was  given  in  answer  to  prayer,  and  for  a 
long  time  loving  care  was  bestowed  upon  them  with  the 
gratifying  result  that  nearly  every  one  recovered. 
Though  not  able  to  preach  to  them  in  words  they 
preached  in  deeds. 

'*  Later  on  another  company  of  some  two  hundred 
wounded  entered  the  city,  and  these  were  cared  for 
in  the  same  way,  and  during  the  nine  months  as  many 
as  two  thousand  sick  and  wounded  passed  through 
their  hands.  The  medical  and  surgical  appliances  were 
ill  adapted  to  such  work,  but  with  poor  instruments 
good  results  were  obtained.  During  that  time  some 
forty  bullets  alone  were  extracted,  some  by  Mr.  Rid- 
ley, with  no  better  instruments  than  a  razor  and  a 
pocketknife,  and  although  unskilled  at  such  work, 
through  the  goodness  of  God  no  life  was  lost  through 
the  cutting  of  an  artery. 

''  It  is  not  easy  to  depict  the  horrors  of  these  days. 
The  streets  of  the  city  became  veritable  dung-heaps, 
with  thousands  of  poor  people  huddled  together  like 
pigs  in  a  sty.  More  than  a  thousand  patients  suffer- 
ing from  diphtheria  came  for  treatment  to  the  '  Gospel 

203 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IX  GOD 

Hall ' — the  name  of  which  the  people  changed  to  *  Sal- 
vation Hall,'  so  many  lives  having  been  saved.  Such 
a  heavy  demand  upon  the  limited  medicine  chest  was  a 
serious  matter.  After  some  eight  pounds  of  sulphur 
had  been  exhausted  in  treating  the  throats  of  the  diph- 
theria patients,  alum  was  used,  then  borax.  For 
wounds,  beeswax,  resin,  lard,  borax,  and  zinc  were 
resorted  to;  three  hundred  and  titty  feet  of  calico  were 
used  by  October  and  many  pounds  of  cotton.  Oil  had 
risen  from  forty-three  cash  per  pound  to  over  two 
hundred,  and  coal  had  run  short,  with  a  temperature 
down  to  zero  and  many  of  the  poor  destitute  of  their 
clothinof,  which  had  been  either  stolen  or  burned  bv  the 
rebels.  The  missionaries  had  to  cook  their  bread  with 
dried  manure. 

''  And  now  about  the  middle  of  September  the  food- 
supply  began  to  run  short.  Busy  from  sunrise  to  dusk 
caring  for  the  sick,  they  had  hardly  noticed  the  empty- 
ing larder.  And  now  all  the  grain  shops  in  the  city 
were  closed,  for  the  city  was  getting  into  the  straits 
of  a  prolonged  siege,  and  grain  could  not  be  bought  on 
the  streets.  And  so  they  took  this  matter  to  the  Lord, 
knowing  that  he  who  had  led  them  to  stay  in  the  city 
would  also  provide  for  them,  and  the  text,  *  Seek  ye 
first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness,  and 
all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you,'  came  forcibly 
home  to  their  minds. 

"  Having  very  definitely  committed  the  matter  to 
the  Lord,  they  went  on  with  their  work  among  the 
wounded,  believing  in  the  word,  '  Trust  in  the  Lord 
and  do  good,  and  so  shalt  thou  dwell  in  the  land,  and 
verily  thou  shalt  be  fed.'    A  few  days  afterward,  when 

204 


WHEN  GATES  WERE  CLOSED 

only  two  or  three  pounds  of  flour  were  left  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  barrel,  an  official  came  down  from  his  post 
on  the  wall  to  thank  them  for  what  they  were  doing  for 
the  wounded.  As  the  very  servants  had  gone  to  join 
the  volunteers  in  the  defense  of  the  city,  the  Ridleys 
harl  no  servant,  and  as  it  is  customary  to  give  tea  to 
any  guest  who  calls,  Mr.  Ridley  prepared  and  served 
the  tea  himself.  This  fact  was  not  lost  upon  the  offi- 
cial, who,  however,  said  nothing  but  reported  it  to  the 
Prefect.  Next  morning  they  were  invited  to  visit  the 
official  on  the  city  wall.  They  responded  and  went, 
and  during  the  visit  the  official  remarked,  '  Yesterday, 
when  I  was  at  your  house,  I  noticed  that  you  had  no 
servant.  The  Prefect  has  told  me  to  lend  you  four 
soldiers  to  help  you.' 

'*  This  was  an  unexpected  kindness,  but  such  help 
would  rather  be  an  anxiety  than  otherwise  with  only 
two  or  three  pounds  of  flour  in  the  house,  and  so,  while 
tlianking  the  official  most  cordially,  they  declined  the 
offer.  However,  he  sent  for  two,  who  came  and 
saluted  the  missionaries.  '  Now,'  he  said,  '  take  these 
two  with  you.'  Feeling  that  it  was  best  to  be  frank 
with  the  man  rather  than  perplex  him  by  again  de- 
clining his  offer  without  an  explanation,  they  said, 
'  \i  you  really  want  to  know  why  we  do  not  accept 
your  offer,  it  is  because  we  cannot  feed  the  men.'  He 
replied,  '  Of  course  you  cannot  have  them  if  you  have 
no  food  for  them,'  and  there  the  matter  was  allowed 
to  drop  and  the  visitors  returned  home. 

"  The  next  morning  when  they  were  as  usual  attend- 
ing to  the  wounded,  two  soldiers  appeared  at  the  door, 
each  man  carrying  on  his  back  a  big  sack  of  grain  of 

20^ 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

aoout  ;)ne  hundred  pounds'  weight.  *  We  were  not  sur- 
prised/ related  Mr.  Ridley  subsequently,  *  for  we 
knew  that  God  would  supply  our  needs.'  Later  on 
another  two  soldiers  appeared  with  similar  loads,  while 
two  or  three  days  later  the  Prefect's  secretary  called 
and  said,  *  The  Prefect  will  be  very  glad  to  send  you 
a  tan  (equal  to  six  hundred  pounds)  of  grain,'  and  in 
fulfillment  of  this  promise  six  soldiers  shortly  appeared, 
each  laden  with  a  sack  of  grain,  and  thus  was  sufficient 
grain  supplied,  not  only  to  last  until  the  rebellion  was 
quelled,  but  for  six  months  more.  And  not  only  was 
grain  supplied,  but  a  supply  of  coal  was  also  sent,  with 
an  offer  to  supply  anything  else  they  might  want,  if 
only  they  would  make  their  wants  known  and  the  city 
could  furnish  the  needed  articles. 

"  The  Prefect  of  the  city,  who  had  personally  visited 
the  temple  of  the  god  of  literature  several  times,  that  he 
might  see  the  good  work  the  missionaries  were  doing, 
was  probably  the  prime  mover  in  this  kindness,  but  his 
heart  was  doubtless  stirred  by  him  who  holds  the 
hearts  of  all  men  in  his  hands.  The  workers  had 
trusted  in  the  Lord,  and  had  sought  to  do  good,  and 
they  experienced  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise  to  the 
very  letter,  '  So  shalt  thou  dwell  in  the  land,  and 
verily  thou  shalt  be  fed.'  " 


206 


XLII 
ALONE,  YET  NOT  ALONE 

"\/  OU  must  not  think  of  taking  such  a  dangerous 

"'■  journey !  "  American  friends  said  to  Mrs.  Petrus 
Rijnhart  when,  in  1894,  she  told  them  of  her  plans 
to  follow  her  husband  into  the  hidden  recesses  of  the 
mountains  of  Tibet,  the  closed  land  of  Asia.  "  You 
say  yourself  that  only  half  a  dozen  travelers  have  ever 
dared  to  make  the  trip.  Why  should  you  go  where 
hardy  men  have  feared  to  venture?" 

But  women  often  venture  where  men  fear  to  go,  if 
they  have  sufficient  reason.  To  Mrs.  Rijnhart  the 
reason  for  the  Tibet  expedition  seemed  so  command- 
ing that  she  did  not  hesitate.  Was  not  her  husband 
going?  And  did  he  not  need  her  counsel  and  help? 
He  was  one  of  the  few  men  who  had  been  to  Tibet. 
During  his  short  experience  there  he  had  learned  how 
eager  some  of  the  Tibetans  were  to  hear  what  he  had 
to  say  about  the  religion  that  was  making  the  Western 
world  great.  When  he  returned  home  there  rang  in- 
sistently in  his  ears  the  question  put  to  him  by  a 
Tibetan,  "If  what  you  say  is  true,  why  have  you 
waited  so  many  moons  to  tell  us?  " 

And  when  he  told  Mrs.  Rijnhart  that  duty  called 
him  to  the  lonely  plateaus  to  the  east  of  China,  her 
only  answer  was,  "  I  will  go  with  you." 

He  told  her  of  the  difficulties  of  the  way,  but  she 
207 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

was  unmoved.  He  reminded  her  that  stern  spies  were 
ever  watching  for  disguised  foreigners  who  tried  to 
penetrate  toward  the  mysterious  city  of  Lhasa,  and 
that  many  of  these  had  been  conducted  to  the  Chinese 
border,  with  the  warning  not  to  return,  but  her  purpose 
was  unchanged. 

So,  full  of  hope,  husband  and  wife  set  out  on  their 
venture.  Across  the  Pacific  they  went,  then  up  the 
great  Yangtse  by  steamer  and  houseboat,  then  hun- 
dred of  miles  by  jolting  mule  carts  over  typical 
Chinese  roads,  in  which  the  travel  of  centuries  had 
worn  grooves  sometimes  two  feet  deep. 

On  the  border  of  Tibet  they  paused  for  several 
years  at  a  little  village  of  mud-brick  houses.  There 
they  became  acquainted  with  the  people  who  were  con- 
stantly coming  from  Tibet,  and  gained  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  country  to  which  they  were  bound. 

The  difficulties  of  the  journey  were  set  before  Mrs. 
Rijnhart  more  plainly  than  ever,  but  she  was  eager  to 
push  on  to  the  only  city  in  the  world  absolutely  closed 
to  Westerners.  Tales  of  rough  mountain  passes,  rag- 
ing rivers,  arid  wastes,  death-dealing  winds  and  fierce 
bands  of  robbers  were  powerless  to  keep  her  from  what 
she  had  made  up  her  mind  was  her  duty. 

At  last  the  journey  was  continued.  Early  one  morn- 
ing in  May,  1898,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rijnhart,  with  their 
one-year-old  son,  born  in  China,  set  out  at  the  head 
of  a  picturesque  caravan  of  seventeen  ponies.  Three 
servants  were  taken  with  them,  as  well  as  supplies 
of  native  food  sufficient  for  two  years. 

For  a  month  all  went  well.  The  natives  were 
friendly,  and  the  only  robbers  seen  were  easily  fright- 

208 


ALONE,  YET  NOT  ALONE 

ened  away.  The  birthday  of  the  little  son  was  cele- 
brated with  great  festivity.  While  the  child  played 
near  the  tent,  the  happy  father  and  mother,  after  the 
manner  of  parents,  talked  over  dreams  of  the  future, 
when  the  boy  would  be  a  useful  man. 

But  those  dreams  were  never  to  be  fulfilled.  Only  a 
few  days  later  the  baby  suddenly  passed  away.  With 
the  help  of  his  servant  (two  of  the  men  had  fled,  for 
fear  of  robbers)  Mr.  Rijnhart  dug  a  little  grave,  and 
the  soil  of  Tibet  was  consecrated  as  it  received  the 
form  of  its  first  Christian  child. 

At  once  the  parents  were  compelled  to  leave  the 
resting  place  of  their  babe.  As  long  as  she  could  see 
the  little  mound  of  stones  built  above  the  grave,  the 
sorrowing  mother  looked  back.  Then,  resolutely  quiet- 
ing her  heart,  she  turned  her  face  toward  Lhasa,  now 
only  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  away,  prepared  for 
whatever  awaited  her  on  the  journey.  She  was  soon 
to  find  that  her  real  sufferings  and  hardships  were 
hardly  begun. 

The  pilgrims  were  congratulating  themselves  that 
no  one  had  appeared  to  dispute  their  passage,  when  a 
company  of  spies  from  Lhasa  ordered  them  to  retrace 
their  steps,  and  put  them  in  charge  of  guides,  who 
were  instructed  to  stay  with  them  till  they  were  safely 
over  the  border  in  China.  Their  one  servant  now 
left  them  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  strangers. 

Very  soon  the  travelers  realized  that  they  were  in 
the  hands  of  irresponsible  men.  Rumors  of  robber 
bands  disquieted  them,  but  for  two  we^ks  no  robbers 
were  seen.  Then,  when  the  party  was  in  camp  on  the 
bank  of  a  swift  stream,  there  was  an  attack  from 

209 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

ambush,  and  several  horses  were  killed.  The  rascally 
guides  seized  all  but  one  of  the  remaining  horses  and 
hurried  off. 

The  plight  of  the  travelers  was  pitiable.  They  were 
alone  in  a  strange  country,  surrounded  by  enemies, 
snow  was  on  the  ground,  and  the  road  was  almost  im- 
passable. They  struggled  on  along  the  river,  and  next 
day  saw  some  tents  on  the  opposite  bank.  Mr.  Rijn- 
hart,  determining  to  go  over  in  search  of  help,  started 
into  the  water,  turned  as  though  seeing  a  better  place 
to  cross,  passed  around  a  point  of  rocks,  and  was  gone. 

Two  hours  passed,  and  he  did  not  return.  At  length 
the  sun  set;  still  there  was  no  sign  of  any  living  crea- 
ture except  four  bears  gamboling  in  the  snow  on  the 
hillside.  The  long  hours  of  darkness  seemed  endless, 
but  at  last  the  morning  came;  then  the  lonely  woman 
realized  that  she  would  probably  never  see  her  husband 
again.  Reluctantly  she  concluded  that  he  had  fallen 
a  prey  to  the  robbers,  to  whose  tender  mercies  they  had 
been  deserted  by  the  rascally  guides. 

But  her  faith  did  not  fail.  "Well  it  was,"  she 
wrote,  in  telling  the  story ,'^  "that  we  had  learned  to 
trust  God  in  hard  and  difficult  places.  What  else  sup- 
ported me  through  the  leaden  hours  of  that  day  but 
the  thought  that  I  was  in  God's  hands? 

"  *  Nothing  before,  nothing  behind, 
The  steps  of  faith 
Fall   on  the  seeming  void,   and   find 
The  rock  beneath.' 

"  But  I  must  admit  it  was  a  faith  amidst  a  darkness 
so  thick  and  black  that  I  could  not  enjoy  the  sun- 

*  In  "  With  the  Tibetans  in  Tent  and  Temple." 
2IO 


ALONE,  YET  NOT  ALONE 

shine.  .  .  .  Deep  down  in  my  heart  a  voice  whispered, 
*  Be  still,  sad  heart,  and  hear  thy  God,  who  knoweth 
the  end  from  the  beginning.'  " 

For  three  days  she  waited,  hoping  against  hope  that 
she  might  see  the  familiar  figure  crossing  the  stream, 
but  instead  there  came  a  company  of  Tibetans,  who, 
observing  her  helpless  condition,  had  laid  their  plans  to 
rob  her. 

Roughly  they  seized  the  baggage  left  by  the  guides, 
thoroughly  ransacked  it,  and  took  everything  that 
caught  their  fancy.  Fortunately  Mrs.  Rijnhart  had 
secreted  a  few  ounces  of  silver  and  her  revolver  when 
she  realized  that  she  must  depend  on  her  own  efforts  to 
escape  from  the  robbers. 

But  how^  was  she  to  escape?  Even  if  she  succeeded 
in  eluding  the  men,  how  could  she  traverse  the  six  hun- 
dred miles  which  stretched  between  her  and  the  nearest 
white  man  ? 

Of  one  thing  she  was  sure — she  must  not  let  the 
men  see  that  she  was  afraid  of  them.  So,  outwardly 
calm,  though  inwardly  quaking  with  fear,  she  de- 
manded that  her  captors  give  her  safe  conduct  to  the 
nearest  chief.  They  refused,  and  told  her  she  must 
stay  where  she  was,  out  in  the  cold  and  the  snow. 
She  demanded  shelter.  They  refused  to  admit  her  to 
their  tents,  but  grudgingly  showed  the  way  to  a  cave. 

Having  gained  her  point  in  this  first  encounter,  she 
nerved  herself  to  a  second,  insisting  that  the  Tibetans 
surrender  her  horse  and  lead  her  to  her  friends.  It 
was  something  new  to  these  half-civilized  men,  accus- 
tomed to  women  who  tamely  submitted  to  be  treated 
as  inferiors,  to  find  one  who  dared  to  question  their 

211 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

will  and  tell  them  what  they  must  do.  In  their  sur- 
prise they  did  exactly  as  she  asked. 

Her  heart  was  heavier  than  ever  as  she  looked  into 
the  scowling  faces  of  the  two  men  assigned  as  guides. 
At  once  she  saw  she  could  not  trust  them;  she  must 
depend  upon  her  woman's  wit  to  carry  her  through  the 
dangers  which  would  surround  her  when  she  was  alone 
with  them.  But  she  knew  she  must  give  no  hint  of  her 
fears.  So,  resolutely  putting  from  her  the  thought 
that  she  was  turning  her  back  forever  not  only  on  the 
lonely  grave  of  the  babe  but  on  the  spot  where  she  had 
last  seen  her  husband,  she  gave  the  sign  to  her  guides, 
and  the  journey  was  begun. 

After  a  few  days  her  guides  were  succeeded  by 
others,  who  at  once  began  to  make  themselves  dis- 
agreeable. Once  she  overheard  them  plotting  to  kill 
her;  thereafter  she  kept  her  revolver  always  in  hand. 
When  the  sight  of  the  weapon  seemed  to  have  lost  its 
effect,  she  told  them  that  they  dare  not  injure  her,  for 
the  Chinese  Government  would  inquire  for  her  if  she 
should  not  return  to  her  friends.  They  took  their  re- 
venge by  forcing  her  to  pass  the  nights  out  of  doors; 
even  when  tents  or  huts  were  near  the  camping  place 
they  would  not  permit  her  to  apply  for  shelter,  for 
fear  her  voice  would  betray  the  fact  that  she  was  not 
one  of  the  nobler  sex  to  which  they  belonged.  Some- 
times they  tried  to  approach  her  during  the  night,  but 
she  seemed  to  them  never  to  sleep. 

One  night  they  made  a  last  attempt  to  take  her  life. 
They  could  do  nothing  while  she  was  on  guard ;  some- 
how they  were  powerless  before  her  unflinching  gaze. 
Pitching  their  ^amp  in  a  swamp,  they  assured  her  that 

212 


ALONE,  YET  NOT  ALONE 

here  there  was  no  danger  of  attack  from  robbers,  and 
she  might  sleep  without  fear.  During  the  night  they 
called  to  her  six  times  to  know  if  she  was  asleep;  each 
time  she  answered  them  promptly. 

Next  day,  when  the  journey  was  resumed,  their 
treatment  of  her  w^as  so  brutal  that  she  was  in  despair. 
Her  strength  was  failing,  for  her  food  w^as  only  rancid 
butter,  parched  barley  meal,  and  tea.  But  just  when 
she  was  feeling  that  she  could  not  possibly  reach  the 
border,  she  found  a  friend  in  a  traveler,  a  Chinese 
merchant.  Piercing  her  disguise,  he  asked  her  won- 
deringly,  '*  How  is  it  that  you  are  here  all  alone  like 
this?  "  When  she  told  him  the  outlines  of  her  story, 
he  was  deeply  touched  and  said,  "  You  have  eaten  much 
bitterness.  Quiet  your  heart,  for  now  that  you  are 
with  us  Chinese,  you  are  all  right." 

The  friendly  Chinaman  secured  for  her  a  passport 
from  a  local  dignitary,  and  sent  her  to  his  own  home, 
where  she  rested  a  few  days  before  going  on. 

Armed  with  the  passport,  she  was  able  to  secure 
fairly  competent  guides,  who  led  her  safely.  Once, 
however,  when  she  was  in  charge  of  two  boys,  robbers 
attacked  the  party.  One  of  the  men,  holding  his  naked 
sword  over  her  head,  ordered  her  to  dismount  and 
give  him  her  horse  and  her  small  supplies  of  food  and 
clothing.  Summoning  all  her  courage  she  refused  to 
obey,  and  the  astonished  robbers  left  her,  robbed  her 
companions,  and  hurried  away  with  their  booty. 

The  final  stages  of  the  journey  were  made  on  foot 
over  rough  mountain  paths.  Though  her  feet  were 
bruised  and  bleeding,  she  sometimes  made  as  much  as 
twenty  or  thirty  miles   a  day.     But  the  strain  was 

213 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

proving  too  great ;  she  realized  that  she  could  not  hold 
out  much  longer.    And  friends  were  still  so  far  away. 

But  they  were  nearer  than  she  thought.  When,  one 
evening,  at  the  end  of  a  twenty-mile  walk,  she  stag- 
gered into  the  village  of  Ta-chien-lu,  she  fell  into  the 
arms  of  an  Englishwoman,  a  member  of  a  mission 
station  recently  opened  at  that  frontier  post. 

The  six  months'  journey  was  over.  She  had  gone 
out  with  husband  and  child  by  her  side;  she  returned 
alone.  But  she  did  not  regret  her  experience.  She  felt 
that  she  had  done  her  duty,  and  that  the  entrance  of 
other  missionaries  to  the  Forbidden  Land  would  be 
easier  because  of  what  she  had  suffered. 

Her  feeling  of  grateful  faith  found  expression  as 
she  wrote: 

Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul, 

And  all  that  is  within  me,  bless  his  holy  name, 

Who  redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruction, 

Who  crowneth  thee  with  loving-kindness  and  tender  mercies, 

Who  satisfieth  thy  mouth  with  good  things. 

So  that  thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagle's. 


214 


TEN 
EVERYDAY  HEROES  OF  FAITH 


2IS 


Through   the   dark   and   stormy   night 
Faith  beholds  a  feeble  light, 

Up  the  blackness  streaking; 
Knowing  God's  own  time  is  best, 
In  a  patient  hope  I  rest 

For  the  full  day  breaking. 

—John  G.  Whittier. 


2t6 


XLIII 

THE  SECRET  OF  YOUTH 

IT  7'HEN  Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Sangster  was  growing 
^  ^  old,  she  was  asked  how  she  managed  to  keep  so 
young.  In  reply  she  insisted  that  the  secret  of  keep- 
ing young  is  ''  not  in  externals;  it  lies  far  deeper.  The 
fountain  of  youth  is  in  the  soul." 

From  childhood  she  was  unconsciously  preparing 
to  remain  young.  Early  she  learned  to  lift  her  soul  in 
faith  to  God,  and  the  lesson  of  faith  learned  in  those 
early  years  never  left  her. 

One  of  the  first  influences  that  taught  her  the  pos- 
sibility and  the  beauty  of  faith  in  God  was  the  hearing 
of  a  story  told  by  her  father.  During  the  first  lone- 
someness  of  his  life  in  Canada  where  he  had  gone  an 
immigrant  from  England,  he  wandered  off  into  the 
woods.  There  he  lost  his  way.  When  night  came,  he 
knelt  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  and  asked  God  to  care  for 
him  and  lead  him  safe  back  to  the  house  he  had  left. 
As  he  rose,  he  heard  a  cowbell;  soon  he  found  the 
cow,  and  was  guided  out  of  the  woods.  For  him 
first,  and  for  his  children  after  him,  this  was  an  ex- 
ample and  a  pledge  of  God's  watch-care  of  his  children. 

A  formative  influence  not  to  be  forgotten  was  the 
custom  of  having  family  prayers,  not  only  once  but 
twice  each  day.  While  it  was  not  the  custom  of  the 
father  to  read  the  Bible  through  in  course  on  these 

217 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

occasions,  he  did  read  most  of  the  books  through  in 
their  turn,  though  some  were  chosen  more  often  than 
others.  The  verses  and  chapters  made  familiar  by 
months  and  years  of  such  reading,  supplemented  by  the 
private  reading  to  which  the  daughter  was  easily 
trained,  gave  her  a  groundwork  for  the  building  of 
character.  The  father's  prayers  are  also  remembered 
with  gratitude,  so  helpful  and  uplifting  were  they. 

Among  the  friends  who  influenced  the  girlhood  of 
this  remarkable  woman,  she  tenderly  recalls  not  only 
the  rich  and  the  great  and  the  social  leaders,  but  also 
a  humble  servant,  whose  portrait  is  well  worth  look- 
ing at. 

''  His  Christian  name  was  Anthony,  and  it  might 
well  have  had  the  prefix  Saint,  for  few  men  whom  I 
have  ever  known  so  well  deserved  the  title.  Anthony 
was  a  hired  man,  who  went  on  various  errands  and 
did  all  sorts  of  things;  who  loved  horses  and  dogs, 
and  understood  every  detail  of  farm  work.  When  a 
small  boy,  he  had  lost  the  sight  of  an  eye  by  accident, 
and  when  he  lived  with  us  he  was  gradually  losing  the 
sight  of  the  other.  In  later  years  he  became  totally 
blind,  and  almost  totally  deaf.  Notwithstanding  these 
limitations,  he  continued  to  work  with  his  hands  on  one 
or  another  farm  in  New  Jersey,  so  long  as  his  strength 
endured.  He  learned  how  to  make  baskets  and  fish- 
nets, and  after  he  could  no  longer  toil  at  difficult  labor 
he  made  and  sold  them  among  his  friends.  During 
all  the  years  that  I  knew  Anthony  Bean  I  never  once 
heard  him  complain  of  blindness,  deafness,  or  poverty. 
*  I  have  a  rich  Father  in  heaven,'  he  would  say,  '  and 
my  wants  will  always  be  supplied.'    They  always  were, 

218 


THE  SECRET  OF  YOUTH 

to  the  end,  and  Anthony  lived  to  be  an  old,  old  man. 
He  had  food,  shelter,  and  clothing,  and  just  enough 
money  in  his  pocket  to  enable  him  to  go  from  place  to 
place  in  the  little  round  of  his  visits  to  friends." 

The  transition  from  such  a  childhood  to  a  faithful 
womanhood  was  easy.  Through  all  the  years  of  Chris- 
tian service  she  was  remarkable  for  the  simplicity  of 
her  faith  in  God.  This  made  her  attractive  to  all  who 
knew  her.  Older  people  delighted  in  talking  to  her  or 
in  reading  her  helpful  books.  Young  people  flocked 
about  her,  wrote  letters  to  her,  sought  her  counsel,  con- 
fided in  her,  trusted  her.    And  she  never  failed  them. 

She  could  satisfy  all  who  came  to  her,  for  she 
satisfied  herself  by  constant  touch  with  him  whom  she 
saw  by  faith. 


219 


XLIV 

THE  FAITH  OF  FOUR  CONVERTS 

TN  "  The  Leaves  of  the  Tree,"  one  of  the  annual 
-*'  reports  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
a  number  of  inspiring  stories  of  faith  were  given. 

One  of  these  is  from  the  pen  of  a  war  correspondent 
of  the  London  Daily  Mail.    He  said : 

"  A  few  weeks  ago  I  stood  outside  the  compound  of 
Mr.  Turley,  the  agent  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  in  Manchuria,  and  looked  at  a  pleasant-faced, 
elderly  Chinese  Bible  woman  talking  with  and  selling 
books  to  a  crowd  of  natives  around  her.  Six  years 
ago,  when  the  Boxer  movement  arose  in  Northern 
China,  the  Boxers  at  Mukden  determined  to  make  an 
end  of  Christianity  there.  They  stormed  the  Roman 
Catholic  Cathedral  and  butchered  the  priests  and  nuns 
and  their  converts  in  horrible  fashion.  They  broke  up 
the  Protestant  Missions,  with  accompaniments  of  tor- 
ture and  shame  which  I  dare  not  dwell  on.  They 
specially  resolved  to  lay  hold  of  this  Bible  woman,  for 
she  had  been  so  active  and  successful  that  all  knew  of 
her.  At  last  they  caught  her,  with  two  nieces,  in  a 
suburb  of  the  city. 

"  The  three  women  were  thrown  on  a  springless 
Chinese  cart,  and,  surrounded  by  a  howling  mob,  were 
led  towards  the  center  of  Mukden,  where  they  were 
to  be  tortured,  outraged,  and  killed.    The  two  nieces 

220 


THE  FAITH  OF  FOUR  CONVERTS 

were  crying  bitterly,  and  the  old  woman  turned  to 
them  and  spoke  very  earnestly.  Why  should  they  cry  ? 
Let  them  pray!  God  would  help  them!  She  herself 
started  praying,  and  soon  her  nieces  joined  her,  and 
their  tears  ceased. 

'*  It  was  a  long  and  weary  ride.  The  roadway  was 
blocked  with  carts,  and  the  death  tumbrel  could  only 
move  along  at  snail's  pace.  The  fears  of  the  younger 
women  were  now  over.  There  was  not  a  tremble  or  a 
tear  from  them.  Soon  an  uneasy  sense  of  awe  came 
over  the  Boxers.  Why  were  not  these  women  afraid? 
One  man  suggested  that  some  spirit  was  guarding 
them,  and  another  spoke  fearfully  of  the  dangers  that 
would  fall  on  those  who  should  offend  the  spirits, 
while  others  continued  to  shout  loudly  for  vengeance. 
Still  the  cart  moved  on,  nearer  to  the  execution 
ground. 

'^  As  it  passed  under  the  shadow  of  the  city  walls  a 
Chinese  gentleman,  well  known  in  the  locality,  rode  by 
in  state.  He  cast  his  eye  over  the  women.  '  What 
fools  you  Boxers  are,'  he  said,  ^  to  kill  these  women, 
when  they  might  be  sold  for  good  silver.  I  will  buy 
them  off  you.'  The  Boxers,  already  uneasy,  saw  a  way 
out  of  their  difficulty,  and  seized  the  opportunity.  The 
women,  bound  as  they  were,  were  tossed  into  the  back 
of  the  gentleman's  cart  and  driven  out  towards  the 
country. 

''  When  the  cart  got  away  from  the  crowds  into  a 
quiet  part  the  owner  stopped  it.  The  women's  bonds 
were  cut,  and  they  were  taken  out.  The  Chinaman 
looked  at  them  with  a  smile.  '  Some  day,'  he  said, 
*  when  you  are  well-off  again,  you  can  pay  me  back 

221 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

what  I  have  given  for  you  to-day.  Now  you  can  go 
where  you  please.'  Is  it  any  wonder  that  that  old 
Bible  woman  believes  in  Christianity  and  in  prayer? 
When  treaty-port  critics  talk  to  me  of  '  rice  Chris- 
tians/ I  remember  the  Bible  woman  of  Mukden." 

The  Bible  Society's  agent  in  Amoy  told  of  a  man 
who  had  been  a  Bible  colporteur  for  more  than  thirty 
years : 

"  Bia  is  now  eighty  years  old  and  blind,  but,  as  he 
sits  in  chapel,  he  is  testifying  to  the  power  and  comfort 
of  the  Gospel.  He  preaches  to  the  people  who  come  in 
to  visit,  and  when  no  one  is  near  he  sings  and  prays. 
Bia  was  forty-two  when  he  first  heard  the  Gospel.  As 
he  listened,  it  dawned  on  him  that  the  Saviour  could 
heal,  and  so  he  became  a  believer  in  the  then-despised 
religion.  Alas!  his  native  village  began  to  persecute 
him.  They  would  not  let  him  have  water  for  his  rice- 
fields,  they  refused  to  join  with  him  in  crushing  his 
sugar-cane,  they  struck  him,  they  did  everything  to 
make  him  give  up  his  Christianity.  At  the  age  of  fifty, 
Bia  was  engaged  as  a  colporteur  by  the  Bible  Society. 
His  work  lay  mainly  among  villages.  First  he  went  to 
Giamkhoe  to  preach:  there  the  official  beat  him,  but 
afterwards  made  reparation.  Next,  Bia  went  to  a 
village  four  miles  further  on,  where  five  men  became 
interested  and  gave  up  their  opium;  some  of  these 
men  still  remain  at  the  church  there.  Then  he  went 
twenty  miles  further  on,  to  Pngiu,  and  opened  that 
village  also  to  the  Gospel.  Now,  all  three  villages 
possess  places  of  worship.  Giamhkoe  has  its  pastor 
and  is  a  self-supporting  church,  with  a  branch  which 
has  twenty  members.    Pngiu  is  likewise  a  self-support- 

222 


THE  FAITH  OF  FOUR  CONVERTS 

ing  church,  with  nearly  seventy  members,  and  has 
opened  up  four  other  churches  which  have  unitedly 
over  sixty  members.  Koehkhi  also  has  a  thriving 
church  with  about  forty  baptized  members.  All  these 
are  the  fruit  of  Bia's  first  efforts  to  extend  his  Master's 
kingdom.  To-day  this  veteran  of  the  Bible  Society  is 
weak  in  body,  partly  deaf,  stone  blind,  and  has  no  one 
to  support  him ;  but  his  heart  is  full  of  the  light  which 
the  Scriptures  reveal,  and  he  looks  forward  to  eternal 
light  and  still  points  out  the  way. 

A  Japanese  colporteur  reported  the  case  of  a  man 
whose  steadfast  faith  was  the  outgrowth  of  Bible 
reading : 

"  I  am  glad  to  inform  you  that  the  seed  you  have 
sown  has  brought  forth  rich  harvests.  When  returning 
from  Uwajima,  a  man  who  lives  about  twelve  miles 
from  here  bought  a  New  Testament  on  board  the 
steamer.  After  he  came  home,  he  read  the  book 
through  five  or  six  times  and  found  out  the  true  God, 
Jesus  Christ.  One  day,  he  said  to  his  wife,  '  We  are 
not  to  worship  too  many  gods.  We  must  believe  in 
only  one  God.  I  shall  gather  together  my  paper  gods 
and  put  them  on  the  fire.'  After  that  he  commenced  to 
pray  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  to  read  in  the  Testament 
daily.  Later,  the  village  ofHcer  came  to  his  house  and 
said,  '  I  think  your  actions  for  some  time  have  been 
different  from  usual.  What  are  you  doing? '  He  an- 
swered the  officer,  '  I  have  this  book  which  I  bought  on 
the  steamer  on  my  way  from  Uwajima,  and  I  have 
read  it  many  times.  It  is  the  best  book  in  the  world.  I 
have  found  out  the  true  God.'  '  Will  you  let  me  see 
that  book  ? '  said  the  officer.     '  Oh !  this  is  Yasii-no- 

223 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

hon'  (i.e.,  the  Jesus  Book).  *  You  must  not  believe; 
you  stop — stop ! '  The  man  answered,  *  You  study 
this  book.  Do  you  know  Jesus  Christ  ? '  '  No,  I  do 
not'  *  Oh !  you  do  not.  Before,  I  thought  the  same  as 
you.  You  must  study  this  Testament.  I  shall  never 
give  up  my  faith  unless  a  more  excellent  God  than 
Jesus  Christ  comes  to  me.  Then  I  will  give  it  up.' 
This  man  never  heard  a  Christian  sermon  nor  had  a 
Christian  teacher.  He  studied  the  book  alone — only  a 
five  sen  New  Testament." 

From  a  town  in  South  Central  China  a  missionary 
wrote  to  the  Society,  telling  of  the  faith  of  a  man  who 
had  never  had  any  instruction  but  that  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  he  read  the  Bible: 

"  Five  years  ago,  a  man  called  here  and  bought  a 
New  Testament.  Then  he  went  back  to  his  home, 
which  was  ninety  li  distant,  cast  out  his  idols,  and  put 
up  a  tablet  to  the  true  God  '  Shang  Ti '  and  to  '  Our 
ancestors,  Adam  and  Eve.'  From  that  time  he  has 
considered  himself  a  worshiper  of  God,  reading  his 
New  Testament  to  his  wife  and  family  and  from  time 
to  time  making  pious  prostrations.  This  went  on  till 
two  or  three  months  ago,  when  his  wife  died  and  he 
was  quite  at  a  loss  how  to  bury  her ;  Chinese  priests  he 
would  not  have,  but  he  had  to  confess  to  the  neighbors 
that  he  had  not  learned  the  correct  procedure  for  the 
Christian  burial  of  the  dead.  At  last  he  wrote  out  this 
formula  and  placed  it  on  the  deceased :  '  True  God, 
accept  this  in  clear  evidence  of  one  who  trusted  in  the 
merit  of  Jesus ' ;  then,  followed  by  his  three  sons,  he 
walked  round  the  coffin  several  times,  repeating  the 
same  words.    Afterwards  he  made  a  journey  here,  to 

224 


THE  FAITH  OF  FOUR  CONVERTS 

tell  us  what  he  had  done  and  to  inquire  if  he  were  cor- 
rect. We  advised  him,  in  case  of  a  similar  emergency, 
to  read  a  chapter  of  Scripture  and  offer  prayer;  he  left 
us  apparently  relieved  and  grateful,  but  not  before  we 
felt  we  had  met  another  of  God's  hidden  children." 


225 


XLV 

A  PICTURE  GALLERY  OF  HEROES 

^TT^HERE  is  inspiration  for  the  traveler  who  goes 
-■'  to  Westminster  Abbey,  where  the  bodies  of 
heroes  of  war  and  of  peace  He  side  by  side.  And  there 
is  inspiration  for  the  reader  who  will  take  the  trouble 
to  look  into  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews,  the  West- 
minster Abbey  of  the  Bible.  There  the  names  are 
given  and  the  achievements  are  recited  of  men  and 
women  who  were  great,  not  necessarily  because  they 
were  prominent  in  the  eyes  of  the  world — some  of 
them  were  very  humble  people — but  because  they  were 
men  and  women  of  strong  faith. 

But  what  is  faith  ?  Faith  is  a  telescope  by  means  of 
which  men  can  put  heavenly  things  beside  earthly 
things,  that  they  may  diligently  compare  them.  Many 
people  persistently  choose  the  baubles  of  life  instead  of 
God's  best  gifts  simply  because  they  have  not  made  the 
comparison. 

Moses,  conspicuously  named  in  the  Bible  picture  gal- 
lery of  faith,  was  not  one  of  these.  The  adopted  son 
of  the  daughter  of  the  Egyptian  king,  he  weighed  the 
treasures  of  Egypt  in  the  scales  with  the  reproach  of 
Christ,  and  when  he  saw  the  result  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  take  the  course  that  has  made  his  name  famous  for 
all  time :  he  turned  his  back  on  Egypt,  giving  himself 
up  to  the  service  of  God's  afflicted  people. 

226 


A  PICTURE  GALLERY  OF  HEROES 

But  it  is  well  to  think  of  a  heroine  of  faith  without 
whom  Moses  would  not  have  been  the  man  he  was — 
his  mother.  "If  you  want  to  know  the  cradle  in  which 
his  greatness  was  rocked,"  one  has  written,  ''  go  back 
to  the  banks  of  the  river  Nile,  and  see  whose  are  the 
hands  that  fashioned  the  cradle  of  bulrushes,  and 
whose  are  the  hands  that  rocked  it;  and  who  taught 
the  tiny  babe  to  speak,  and  to  love,  and  to  know,  and 
to  grow,  and  to  dream,  and  to  become.  You  have  come 
upon  the  name  of  a  Hebrew  bondwoman  tending  her 
child.  Back  of  Moses  stands  his  mother.  By  her 
divine  ministry  the  divine  miracle  was  wrought." 

A  picture  gallery  of  faith  might  be  made  to-day. 
For  instance,  the  story  of  missions  is  a  record  of  faith. 
Livingstone  went  to  Africa  because  God  called  him. 
He  went,  not  knowing  whither  he  went,  but  leaving 
that  with  God. 

Adoniram  Judson  labored  for  years  without  a  con- 
vert, but  he  did  not  lost  faith  in  him  who  could  touch 
the  hearts  of  men.  Dr.  Cortland  Van  Rensselaer 
Hodge  and  the  others  who  have  laid  down  their  lives 
in  China  were  enabled  to  be  strong  to  the  end  by  reason 
of  the  vision  of  faith. 

Robert  Morrison  was  sustained  by  his  faith  in  God. 
The  captain  of  the  Trident,  the  ship  on  which  he 
sailed  from  New  York  to  China,  knowing  something 
of  the  impenetrable  conservatism  of  the  Chinese,  said : 
"  And  so,  Mr.  Morrison,  you  really  expect  that  you 
will  make  an  impression  upon  the  idolatry  of  the  great 
Chinese  empire?  "  "  No,  sir,"  returned  Mr.  Morrison 
severely,  '*  I  expect  God  will." 

Horace  Bushnell,  in  an  address  before  New  England 
227 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

pioneers,  added  still  others  to  the  picture  gallery  of 
faith.  "  In  common  graves,"  he  says,  "  lie  the  sturdy 
kings  of  homespun,  who  climbed  among  these  hills 
with  their  axes  to  cut  away  room  for  their  cabins,  and 
for  family  prayers  and  sow  for  the  good  future  to 
come.  Here  lie  their  sons,  who  foddered  their  cattle 
on  the  snows  and  built  stone  fences  while  their  corn 
was  sprouting  in  the  hills,  getting  ready,  in  that  way, 
to  send  a  boy  or  two  to  college.  Here  lie  the  good 
housewives  who  made  coats  every  year,  like  Hannah, 
for  their  children's  bodies  and  lined  their  memory  with 
catechism. 

"  Here  the  millers  who  took  honest  toll  of  the  rye, 
the  smiths  and  coopers  who  superintended  two  hands 
and  got  a  little  revenue  of  honest  bread  and  schooling 
from  their  little  joint-stock  of  two-handed  investment. 
Here  the  district  committees  and  schoolmistresses,  the 
religious  society  founders  and  church  deacons.  Who 
they  are,  by  name,  we  cannot  tell — no  matter  who  they 
are — we  should  be  none  the  wiser  if  we  could  name 
them;  they  themselves  none  the  more  honorable. 
Enough  that  they  are,  the  King  Lemuels  and  their 
queens  of  the  good  old  times  gone  by — kings  and 
queens  of  homespun,  out  of  whom  we  drew  our  noble 
lineage." 

Without  these  heroes  of  an  age  gone  by  America 
would  not  be  what  it  is  to-day,  and  without  their  faith 
in  God  these  pioneers  would  never  have  come  from 
England  to  America.  They  longed  for  freedom  to  live 
according  to  their  faith,  and  so  they  crossed  the  sea 
and  *'  endured  as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible,"  except 
to  the  eye  of  faith. 

228 


A  PICTURE  GALLERY  OF  HEROES 

Those  whose  faith  in  God  is  weak  may  learn  a  les- 
son from  a  poor  colored  woman  who  earned  a  moderate 
living  by  washing.  One  day  one  of  those  anxious 
Christians  said  to  her :  "  Ah,  Nancy,  it's  well  enough 
to  be  happy  now,  but  I  should  think  your  thoughts  of 
the  future  would  make  you  sober.  Suppose,  for  in- 
stance, you  should  be  taken  sick,  or  suppose  your  em- 
ployers should  move  away,  or  suppose "    "  Stop!" 

cried  Nancy.  "  I  neber  supposes.  De  Lord  is  my 
Shepherd,  and  I  knows  I  shall  not  want.  And,  honey, 
it  is  all  dem  s'poses  as  is  makin'  you  so  mis'able.  You 
orter  give  dem  all  up  and  jes'  trust  in  de  Lord." 


229 


XLVI 

MISSIONARIES    AND    MONEY-MAKERS 

TAURING  the  summer  and  fall  of  1905  Dillon  Wal- 
-■^  lace  led  a  small  party  into  hitherto  unexplored 
regions  of  Labrador.  The  published  account  of  this 
really  remarkable  journey  is  full  of  descriptions  of 
the  barren  country,  of  the  perils  encountered  by  the 
travelers,  of  the  dreariness  of  the  ice  fields  and  the 
loneliness  of  life  among  the  degraded  Eskimos. 

The  explorer  and  his  party  came  to  several  trading 
posts,  each  in  charge  of  an  English  or  an  American 
business  man,  who  had  his  family  with  him.  These 
people,  who  were  there  for  the  purpose  of  making 
money,  were  full  of  complaints  about  the  country,  the 
hardships  they  were  compelled  to  endure,  and  the  long- 
ings they  had  for  life  in  other  surroundings.  At  one 
post  the  travelers  were  eagerly  welcomed.  But  when 
they  came  to  go  there  was  sorrow.  The  women  cried ; 
and  one  of  them  said :  ''  It  will  be  a  long  time  before 
anyone  comes  to  see  us  again — a  long  time.  I  suppose 
no  one  will  ever  come  again."  At  a  second  post  the 
trader  was  about  to  be  transferred  to  another  part 
of  the  country.  "  God  knows  how  lonely  it  is  here 
sometimes,"  the  trader's  wife  said  to  Mr.  Wallace. 
"  How  glad  I'll  be  to  go  where  there's  some  one  beside 
just  greasy  heathen  Eskimos  to  see !  " 

In  striking  contrast  was  the  quiet,  uncomplaining, 
230 


MISSIONARIES  AND  MONEY-MAKERS 

contented  attitude  of  the  missionaries  found  by  the 
travelers.  Mr.  Wallace  was  by  no  means  prejudiced 
in  their  favor ;  but  they  compelled  his  admiration,  and 
he  became  a  warm  admirer  of  these  devoted  men  and 
women.    Here  are  his  confession  and  his  tribute : 

*'  I  am  free  to  say  that  previous  to  meeting  them 
upon  their  field  of  labor  I  looked  upon  the  work  of 
these  missionaries  with  indifference,  if  not  disfavor, 
for  I  had  been  led  to  believe  that  they  were  accom- 
plishing little  or  nothing.  But  now  I  have  seen  and  I 
know  of  what  incalculable  value  the  services  are  that 
they  are  rendering  to  the  poor,  benighted  people  of  the 
coast. 

''  They  practically  renounce  the  world  and  their 
home  ties  to  spend  their  lives,  until  they  are  too  old  for 
further  service  or  their  health  breaks  down,  in  their 
heaven-inspired  calling,  surrounded  by  people  of  a  dif- 
ferent race  and  language,  in  the  most  barren  land  in 
the  world. 

'*  When  their  children  reach  the  age  of  seven  years, 
they  must  send  them  to  school  at  home  to  be  educated. 
Very  often  parents  and  children  never  meet  again. 
This  is,  as  many  of  them  told  me,  the  greatest  sacrifice 
they  are  called  upon  to  make,  but  they  realize  that  it  is 
for  the  best  good  of  the  child  and  they  do  not  murmur. 
What  heroes  and  heroines  these  men  and  women  are ! 
One  must  admire  and  honor  them." 

And  again  he  says:  *' Of  all  the  missionaries  that 
I  met  in  this  bleak  Northland,  devoted  as  every  one 
of  them  is  to  his  lifework,  none  was  more  devoted  and 
none  was  doing  a  more  self-sacrificing  work  than  Rev. 
Samuel  Milliken  Stewart  of  Fort  Chimo.    His  noviti- 

231 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

ate  as  a  missionary  was  spent  in  one  of  the  little  out- 
port  fishing-stations  of  Newfoundland.  Finally  he  was 
transferred  to  that  fearfully  barren  stretch  among  the 
heathen  Eskimos  north  of  Nachvak.  Here  he  and  his 
Eskimo  servant  gathered  together  such  loose  drift- 
wood as  they  could  find,  and  with  this  and  stones  and 
turf  erected  a  single-room  igloo.  It  was  a  small  affair, 
not  over  ten  or  twelve  by  fourteen  feet  in  size,  and 
only  an  imaginary  line  separated  the  missionary's  quar- 
ters from  those  of  his  servant. 

''  On  his  knees  in  an  old  resting-place  for  the  dead, 
with  the  bleaching  bones  of  heathen  Eskimos  strewn 
over  the  rocks  about  him,  he  consecrated  his  life  efforts 
to  the  conversion  of  this  people  to  Christianity.  Then 
he  went  to  work  to  accomplish  this  in  a  businesslike 
way.  He  set  himself  the  infinite  task  of  learning  the 
difficult  language.  He  lived  their  life  with  them,  visit- 
ing and  sleeping  with  them  in  their  filthy  igloos — so 
filthy  and  filled  with  stench  from  the  putrid  meat  and 
fish  scraps  that  they  permit  to  lie  about  and  decay  that 
frequently  at  first — until  he  became  accustomed  to  it — 
he  was  forced  to  seek  the  open  air  and  relieve  the  re- 
sulting nausea.  But  Stewart  is  a  man  of  iron  will,  and 
he  never  wavered.  He  studied  his  people,  administered 
medicine,  and  taught  the  doctrines  of  Christianity  at 
every  opportunity.  That  first  winter  was  a  trying  one. 
All  their  little  stock  of  fuel  was  exhausted  early.  The 
few  articles  of  furniture  that  he  had  brought  with 
him  he  burned  to  keep  out  the  frost  demon,  and  before 
spring  they  suffered  greatly  with  the  cold. 

"  The  winter  before  our  arrival  he  transferred  his 
efforts  to  the  Fort  Chimo  district,  where  his  field  would 

232 


MISSIONARIES  AND  MONEY-MAKERS 

be  larger  and  he  could  reach  a  greater  number  of  the 
heathen.  During  the  journey,  which  was  across  the 
upper  peninsula,  with  dogs,  he  was  lost  in  storms  that 
prevailed  at  the  time,  his  provisions  were  exhausted, 
and  one  dog  had  been  killed  to  feed  the  others  before 
he  finally  met  Eskimos  who  guided  him  in  safety  to 
George  River. 

''  In  the  little  cabin  in  which  he  lives,  we  found  him 
one  day  with  a  little  pot  of  high-smelling  seal  meat 
cooking  for  his  dogs  and  a  pan  of  dough-cakes  frying 
for  himself.  Here  I  spent  many  delightful  hours. 
His  constant  flow  of  well-told  stories,  flavored  with 
native  Irish  wit,  was  a  sure  panacea  for  despondency. 
I  believe  Stewart,  with  his  sunny  temperament,  is  really 
enjoying  his  life  among  the  heathen,  and  he  has  made 
an  obvious  impression  upon  them,  for  every  one  turns 
out  to  his  chapel  meetings,  where  the  services  are  con- 
ducted in  Eskimo,  and  takes  part  with  a  will." 

What  a  contrast !  Those  who  go  to  the  land  for  a 
short  season's  stay  speak  of  the  hardships  and  long  for 
the  day  of  relief;  those  who  go  for  the  purpose  of  gain 
are  full  of  bitterness  and  complaint;  but  those  who 
are  spending  their  lives  in  the  service  of  Christ,  though 
in  the  very  same  surroundings,  are  satisfied,  content. 
**  They  do  not  murmur,"  ''  Really  enjoying  his  life," 
*'  His  well-told  stories  a  sure  panacea  for  despond- 
ency." These  are  the  comments  made  by  their  visitor. 
No  wonder  he  was  impressed! 

What  is  the  secret  of  this  contentment  in  the  most 
trying  surroundings?  What  but  the  presence  of 
Christ,  who  is  fulfilling  his  promise  to  be  with  those 
who  go  into  all  the  world  to  preach  the  Gospel?    That 

233 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

promise  was  not  made  to  the  explorer  who  goes  for  his 
own  glory,  and  he  feels  the  hardships  he  must  face;  it 
was  not  spoken  to  the  man  whose  whole  soul  is  devoted 
to  the  hoarding  of  gold,  and  he  complains  bitterly  be- 
cause of  his  loneliness.  But  those  who,  careless  of 
self,  eager  for  souls,  are  living  in  the  midst  of  desola- 
tion and  barrenness,  are  not  only  content,  but  always 
rejoicing,  because  the  Lord  is  with  them;  always  they 
are  in  the  presence  of  him  whose  work  they  are  seek- 
ing to  do.  It  is  not  strange  that  the  traveler  has  good 
words  for  their  work. 


234 


XLVII 
TAKING  THE  LONG  LOOK 

SOMEHOW  there  are  Christians  who  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  believe  the  teaching  of  Jesus  as  to  the  way 
to  be  really  blessed  and  happy.  They  read  the  Beati- 
tudes of  the  fifth  chapter  of  Matthew,  and  curl  up  their 
lips.  *'  Ah,  that's  all  very  well  for  those  who  do  not 
have  to  struggle  for  daily  bread  and  butter,  but  the 
teaching  will  not  do  for  us,"  they  say.  The  truth  of 
the  matter,  however,  is  that  Jesus  was  laying  out  the 
lines  for  the  very  people  who  need  to  struggle  to  main- 
tain an  existence.  And  to  them  he  gave  the  message, 
''  Lay  not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  upon  the  earth, 
where  moth  and  rust  consume,  and  where  thieves 
break  through  and  steal :  but  lay  up  for  yourselves 
treasures  in  heaven,  where  neither  moth  nor  rust  doth 
consume,  and  where  thieves  do  not  break  through  and 
steal." 

And  because  he  knew  there  would  always  be  diffi- 
culty in  making  this  comparison,  he  gave  men  faith, 
in  order  that  they  might  realize  the  truth  of  his 
words. 

The  Bible  is  full  of  pictures  of  faith,  drawn  for  the 
inspiration  of  Christians.  For  instance,  there  is  the 
portrait  of  Abram,  whom  God  told  to  go  out  from  his 
homeland  to  a  country  which  God  would  show  him. 
*'  And  he  went  out,  not  knowing  whither  he  went." 

235 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

The  faith  that  led  him  to  take  this  step  won  for  him 
the  title, ''  The  friend  of  God." 

Would  we  be  friends  of  God  ?  Then  we  need  to  pray 
for  faith,  for  greater  faith,  always  for  more  faith,  in 
order  that  we  may  be  ready  to  follow  God  wherever 
he  leads.  When  he  makes  known  for  us  our  duty, 
we  must  be  ready  to  obey  without  question,  in- 
stead of  stopping  to  object,  "  But "    It  is  human 

to  desire  to  know  all  the  details  of  a  proposed  course 
of  action  before  we  commit  ourselves  to  it.  It  is  the 
part  of  wisdom  to  be  on  our  guard  thus  when  we  are 
following  human  guidance.  But  when  God  is  our 
guide,  we  can  well  afford  to  leave  details  in  his  hands. 

There  is  encouragement  for  every  struggling  Chris- 
tain  in  the  fact  that  Abraham  is  not  the  only  example 
of  faith  mentioned  in  the  Bible.  Perhaps  some  will 
say  that  it  is  impossible  to  be  like  Abraham,  the  father 
of  the  faithful ;  that  is  too  much  to  expect,  and  there- 
fore, discouraged,  they  will  give  up.  There  is  encour- 
agement, then,  in  the  fact  that  elsewhere  is  named  one 
who  was  just  beginning  the  life  of  faith,  Rahab  the 
foreigner.  In  the  midst  of  her  wandering  life  she 
had  a  gleam  of  light,  and  she  proved  that  she  saw  it  by 
her  works.  If  we  feel  we  cannot  be  like  Abraham,  let 
us  at  least  be  like  Rahab,  and  make  a  beginning.  The 
faith  of  Abraham  will  come  in  due  time  if  we  walk 
with  God  day  by  da*y. 

Jeremiah  was  another  man  of  faith  whose  portrait 
is  drawn  clearly  for  us.  When  he  was  put  in  prison 
because  of  his  prophecy  of  the  captivity  of  God's  peo- 
ple, he  bought  a  piece  of  property  as  an  evidence  of 
his  belief  that  after  the  captivity  so  soon  to  begin  there 

236 


TAKING  THE  LONG  LOOK 

would  be  a  gracious  return,  and  an  opportunity  to  en- 
joy landed  possessions.  Faith  that  is  worth  anything 
proves  itself  by  the  deeds  it  inspires. 

Then  there  was  Peter.  His  portrait  is  included  in 
the  Bible  company  of  men  of  faith.  He  had  faith, 
but  it  was  very  small,  and  he  was  ready  to  let  doubt 
swallow  up  that  little.  He  showed  his  little  faith  by 
his  desire  to  walk  to  Jesus  on  the  water;  he  showed 
how  even  his  little  faith  was  vanishing  when  he  cried 
that  he  was  sinking,  and  so  he  teaches  the  lesson 
that  great  faith  is  not  necessary  if  one  would  lay  hold 
on  Jesus,  but  that  it  is  necessary  that  the  little  faith 
should  be  well  grounded  if  one  is  to  accomplish  any- 
thing worth  while  in  the  Christian  life. 

The  heroes  of  faith  are  not  all  named  in  the  Bible. 
Nearly  every  church  can  point  to  its  own  honor  roll 
of  such  heroes.  There  is  a  church  in  a  small  town  in 
a  Western  State  where,  for  a  time,  there  were  so  few 
members  that  Presbytery  thought  it  wise  to  dissolve 
the  organization.  But  the  feeble  congregation  pleaded 
for  more  time,  and  earnestly  endured  the  hard  things 
that  came,  before  their  vision  of  an  earnest,  active 
church  could  come  true.  The  faith  of  the  pioneer 
heroes  has  been  justified,  however,  and  the  church  is  a 
tower  of  strength  in  the  community. 

How  many  homes,  too,  have  in  them  heroes  and 
heroines  of  faith,  fathers  and  mothers  who  will  not 
give  up  praying  for  a  wandering  son  or  daughter. 
Their  faith  in  God,  who  is  ever  true  to  his  covenant 
promise,  is  abiding.  The  answer  to  the  prayers  may 
be  delayed,  but  in  God's  good  way  and  time  they  know 
the  answer  will  come. 

'^17 


,      THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

An  observer,  who  signed  himself,  "  One  of  the 
Folks,"  once  told  in  The  Interior  of  one  of  these  hum- 
ble, everyday  heroes  whose  faith  in  God  is  steadfast 
in  the  face  of  trial.    He  said : 

"We  all  sat  together  in  prayer  meeting,  and  the 
sweet  old  saint  who  had  not  seen  the  face  of  man  or 
woman  for  fifty  years  sat  where  every  Wednesday 
evening  found  him — on  the  front  row  of  chairs  close 
to  where  the  pastor  stood.  And  the  pastor  gave  out 
the  hymn  for  us  to  sing,  '  Count  Your  Many  Bless- 
ings; Name  Them  One  by  One.' 

"  Now  we  all  knew  the  dear  old  man  had  blessings; 
we  had  heard  him  say  so.  But  none  of  us  thought  he 
had  so  very  many.  It  was  just  after  he  was  married 
that  an  accident  had  cost  him  his  sight.  He  had 
earned  a  living  for  his  wife  and  himself  through  nearly 
the  whole  of  a  half  century  by  scrubbing  other  people's 
clothes  clean  at  the  washtub  in  their  little  kitchen,  the 
wife  standing  by  to  tell  him  when  they  were  made 
spotless.  Not  content  to  provide  this  way  for  two — 
they  were  childless — he  adopted  and  raised  an  orphan 
niece.  Now  in  his  old  age  he  had  lost  his  life  com- 
panion and  helper,  and  apparently  about  the  only 
earthly  satisfaction  that  remained  to  him  was  the  faith- 
ful care  of  this  foster  child  and  her  husband.  But  they 
were  not  rich,  and  what  they  so  gladly  shared  with  him 
could  not  be  more  than  a  sufficiency. 

"  But  the  pastor  had  given  out,  '  Count  Your  Many 
Blessings;  Name  them  One  by  One.'  We  heard  the 
blind  saint  sigh,  '  I  can't  do  that.' 

"  What  calamity  had  befallen  here !  Had  the  blind 
238 


TAKING  THE  LONG  LOOK 

man  lost  his  faith?  No — wait — he  is  finishing  his 
sentence. 

"  I  can't  count  them  that  way ;  I'd  never  get 
through  if  I  did.' 

"  Then  we  all  sang,  though  ashamedly  in  our  hearts, 
knowing  that  we  have  never  been  faced  with  that  diffi- 
culty when  we  counted  our  blessings.  Then  after- 
ward we  prayed  that  God  would  open  our  eyes  to  see 
as  well  as  the  blind  man." 

That  man  had  heard  Christ's  message,  "  Be  of  good 
cheer;  it  is  I;  be  not  afraid."  This  was  the  explana- 
tion of  his  serene  faith.  The  same  message  is  spoken 
to  us  daily.  Let  us  hear  it  when  anxiety  overtakes, 
when  difficulty  perplexes,  when  temptation  assails, 
when  sorrow  is  heavy  upon  us!  What  need  is  there 
to  fear  when  the  Lord  is  walking  on  the  troubled 
waters  that  threaten  us,  when  he  is  planning  for  our 
welfare  ?  Since  he  is  planning  for  our  happiness,  why 
do  we  find  it  so  hard  to  trust  our  happiness  to  him? 
If  we  wait  on  him,  he  will  give  us  the  best  things  of 
life.  Jesus  said,  ''  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God 
and  his  righteousness,  and  all  these  things  shall  be 
added  unto  you."  What  things?  Everything  neces- 
sary to  happiness.  You  don't  believe  it  ?  Try  it,  and 
see! 


239 


ELEVEN 
SERVING  IN  FAITH 


24T 


"  Build  a  little  fence  of  trust 

Around  to-day. 
Fill  the  space  with  loving  work, 

And  therein  stay. 
Look  not  through  the   sheltering  bars 

Upon  to-morrow. 
God  will  help  thee  bear  what  comes, 

Of  joy  and  sorrow." 


242 


XLVIII 

SHE  WOULD  NOT  DENY  HER  LORD 

C*ITA,  a  wealthy  Lingait  widow  in  India,  was  still 
^  a  girl  when  her  husband  died,  and  she  was  left  to 
look  forward  to  a  long  life  of  loneliness.  Fortunately 
her  people  did  not  treat  widows  as  harshly  as  do  peoples 
in  some  other  parts  of  India.  But  her  lot  was  hard 
enough. 

Her  only  joy  was  her  two-year-old  son.  She 
watched  him  grow  until  she  was  persuaded  to  let  him 
go  into  training  for  the  priesthood.  Naturally  her 
thoughts  were  turned  more  than  ever  to  the  native 
temple,  and  she  went  there,  seeking  comfort.  But 
her  heart  was  unsatisfied. 

Then  came  a  day  when  a  native  Christian  had  a 
talk  with  a  friend  in  her  hearing.  At  first  she  paid 
little  attention  to  his  words.  Finally  something  he  said 
attracted  her  attention.  Soon  she  was  listening  with 
all  her  might,  drinking  in  the  story  of  him  who  came 
to  earth  that  those  who  put  their  trust  in  him  might 
find  peace  and  rest. 

Almost  at  once  she  made  up  her  mind  that  she  would 
believe  in  Christ.  When  she  applied  for  admission  to 
the  church,  she  was  baptized. 

"  Then  the  storm  broke,"  wrote  a  missionary,  in  tell- 
ing the  story. ^     "  Had  Sita  realized  that  following  in 

Mn  "  A  Struggle  for  a  Soul." 
243 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

the  steps  of  the  thorn-crowned  Master  the  disciple 
must  drink  of  his  cup,  a  cup  seven  times  more  bitter 
than  death? 

"  Her  life  had  been  hard  before,  but  now  it  became 
intolerable.  On  every  hand  she  met  with  hatred  and 
loathing.  Curses  and  maledictions  were  hurled  at  her 
daily,  hourly.  Still  she  clung  to  her  son.  But  even 
his  baby  heart  they  tried  to  alienate  from  the  one  whose 
sole  remaining  joy  in  life  he  was.  And  then,  one  ter- 
rible morning,  she  awoke  to  find  him  gone.    Where? 

"  They  had  kidnaped  him,  in  the  hope  that  if  it  were 
a  question  of  choosing  between  her  son  and  her  new 
'  swami,'  mother-love  would  give  the  casting  vote.  Or 
if  not,  at  least  the  boy's  mind  should  not  be  poisoned, 
but  be  trained  in  the  old  faith. 

"  It  was  too  much.  *  My  son !  Oh,  my  son ! '  she 
cried. 

"  But  there  was  no  voice,  no  answer,  except  cruel 
taunts. 

"  '  Give  him  back  to  me/  she  cried  with  a  breaking 
heart.    '  I  will  do  anything  you  wish.' 

" '  Undergo  the  purification  rites,  then,'  they  made 
answer.  '  Let  your  tongue  be  touched  with  heated 
gold,  and  you  will  be  cleansed.' 

"  *  I  cannot,'  she  moaned.  *  I  cannot  deny  the  Sa- 
viour. But  in  mercy,  let  me  have  my  son !  The  light 
of  my  life!  I  must  see  his  face  or  die!  Give  him  to 
me!' 

"  But  only  stony  faces  and  more  stony  hearts  were 
round  her. 

"  '  Forsake  your  Lord,'  they  insisted  relentlessly,  '  or 
you  will  not  have  the  child.' 

244 


SHE  WOULD  NOT  DENY  HER  LORD 

''  Then  her  brave  spirit  embraced  the  cross.  In  that 
hour  the  sword  passed  through  her  soul,  but  she  stood 
firm. 

*' '  I  will  never  forsake  him/  she  said  steadily,  and 
for  a  time  her  tormentors  turned  away,  baffled. 

Years  passed.  She  did  not  see  her  son,  though  she 
knew  she  had  only  to  yield  and  he  would  be  restored  to 
her.  But  "  one  thing  was  clear  to  her;  to  deny  Christ 
her  Saviour  was  impossible.  All  else  could  be  borne, 
but  not  to  be  untrue  to  him,  and  to  her  deepest  self." 

Friends  forsook  her.  She  had  to  leave  her  home  and 
all  her  property.  She  was  taken  in  at  the  mission  sta- 
tion, and  there  she  ministered  to  those  who  needed  her 
attention  in  sickness  and  in  health. 

Daily  she  prayed  that  she  might  see  her  son  once 
more,  and  that  her  faith  might  become  stronger  and 
stronger. 

One  day,  when  she  was  growing  old,  she  was  on  the 
way  to  the  public  well  when  a  young  man  stopped  her, 
and  asked  for  Lingait  Sita.  She  answered  that  this 
was  her  own  name. 

"  Then  you  are  my  mother,"  he  said. 

He  was  still  a  heathen  priest,  and  after  a  short  visit 
he  left  her  to  return  to  the  temple. 

And  she  remained  behind,  continuing  her  life  of 
service  and  her  prayers  for  the  son  who  had  been  re- 
stored to  her  after  so  many  years. 


245 


XLIX 

THE  PROOF  OF  THEIR  FAITH 

^~r^HE  life  speaks  louder  than  words,  and  the  man 

-■-     who  lives  his  faith  will  make  more  impression  on 

those  about  him  than  he  who  is  content  to  tell  of  it. 

A  missionary/  in  speaking  of  his  work,  said :  ^'  We 
cannot  remember  too  much  or  too  often  that  it  is  our 
lives,  far  more  than  our  teaching,  that  the  natives  look 
at  and  long  to  understand.  We  do,  indeed,  need  to  be 
'  epistles  known  and  read  of  all  men.'  Angry  words 
about  some  mistake  by  an  incapable  workman  often 
do  serious  harm,  and  deter  people  from  coming  under 
the  influence  of  the  Gospel." 

Then  the  missionary  told  of  a  native  ofificer  who  had 
always  resisted  every  effort  to  persuade  him  to  listen 
to  the  teachers  of  Christianity.  Evidently  he  had 
nothing  but  contempt  for  the  faith  of  those  who  talked 
of  Christ.  But  after  a  time  he  was  assisting  a  mission- 
ary in  building  a  house.  Suddenly — to  the  astonish- 
ment of  his  fellow  natives — he  began  to  listen  to  in- 
struction, and  finally  he  was  baptized. 

But  the  missionary  understood  the  reason  for  the 
man's  change  of  attitude :  he  had  seen  Christian  faith 
proved  under  difficult  circumstances.  ''  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  no  work  is  more  trying  to  the  temper  [than  house- 
building],  or  gives   more   splendid  opportunities   of 

*  In  "  Uganda  by  Pen  and  Camera." 
246 


THE  PROOF  OF  THEIR.  FAITH 

proving,  by  a  Christian  demeanor  under  all  circum- 
stances, what  a  life  influenced  by  the  Gospel  is.  In- 
deed, many  workmen,  finding  the  missionary  a  kind 
master,  so  very  different  from  their  own  native  over- 
seers, are  willing  to  listen  to  the  introduction  of 
the  Gospel. 

"  The  first  thing  the  natives  ask  about  a  missionary 
is,  *  Is  he  a  kind  man  ? '  or,  as  they  put  it,  '  Has  he 
kindness?'  If  they  are  told  that  'he  has  kindness,' 
then  they  desire  to  come  and  see  him,  and  are  willing 
to  listen  to  his  teaching.  But  if  he  is  announced  to  be 
a  man  of  anger,  people  are  immediately  afraid  of  him, 
and  take  care  to  stay  away." 

Susie  Bouchelle  Wright  has  told  in  a  newspaper 
article  of  the  consequences  of  the  life  of  faith  of  a 
young  girl  in  the  homeland : 

"  A  man  of  another  race  once  came  to  visit  America, 
a  cultured,  thoughtful  man,  but  an  unbeliever  and 
what  we  call,  broadly,  a  heathen.  He  admitted  the 
superiority  of  Christianity  as  a  code  of  ethics,  but 
cited  other  religions  with  ideals  almost  identical,  and 
was  outspoken  in  his  doubt  of  the  vital  principle  of  our 
faith — the  changed  nature,  the  indwelling  of  a  divine 
Spirit.  It  was  all  in  vain  that  his  friends  took  him  to 
hear  the  finest  preachers  and  threw  about  him  the 
most  beautiful  ecclesiastical  influences.  He  only  shook 
his  head  and  smiled.  "  There  is  nothing  in  it  all,"  he 
said,  ''  except  the  strong  religious  instinct  which  is  as 
much  a  part  of  human  nature  as  love  or  friendship." 

"  During  his  stay  a  terrible  ordeal  came  to  a  young 
girl  in  the  family  in  which  he  was  visiting,  an  ordeal 
which  involved  humiliation  and  defeat.     If  ever  re- 

247 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

venge  is  justifiable  it  would  seem  to  have  been  so  in 
this  case,  so  unprovoked  and  malicious  were  the  cir- 
cumstances. The  keenness  of  the  anguish  of  it  passed 
after  a  time,  as  the  keenness  of  sorrow  and  despair  al- 
ways does.  When  the  foreigner  was  about  to  return 
to  his  home,  he  asked  the  girl  to  go  with  him  for  a 
quiet  walk  in  her  father's  garden. 

*"  I  am  so  sorry,'  said  she  timidly,  '  that  your  visit 
has  been  spoiled  by — what  came  to  me.' 

"  He  was  silent  for  a  moment.  '  I  am  sorry,'  said 
he,  *  for  your  hurt — so  sorry.  But  may  I  tell  you 
something?  '  She  lifted  her  tear-filled  eyes  to  his  face, 
and  he  went  on: 

"  *  You  have  been  on  trial  before  me  for  the  reality 
of  what  you  profess  to  believe.  I  knew  that  you  had 
confessed  Christ,  as  your  saying  is.  I  thought  of  your 
Sunday-school  class,  your  three  days  each  week  in  the 
mission  school,  your  singing  in  the  choir ;  but  none  of 
these  things  counted  at  all  when  the  trouble  came  beside 
the  claims  that  Christians  make  for  their  religion.  I 
said  to  myself,  ''  I'll  watch  her  carefully  now.  If  this 
faith  of  hers  will  keep  her  patient  and  sweet  under 
trial,  if  it  will  uphold  her  in  defeat,  if  it  will  plead 
against  the  impulse  for  revenge,  I  shall  know  that  it  is 
something  more  than  human  will  and  nature,  for  she  is 
just  a  weak  young  girl.  She  has  not  had  the  age  or  the 
experience  that  would  make  her  able  to  reason  out 
things  for  herself,  and  get  at  the  science  and  philosophy 
of  it  all — she  has  nothing  but-  her  religion  to  fall 
back  on." ' 

''  The  girl  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  remem- 
bering only  the  weakness  of  the  sobbing  and  crying 

248 


THE  PROOF  OF  THEIR  FAITH 

hours,  but  the  stranger  removed  them  gently.  '  Look 
up,'  said  he,  'and  do  not  be  ashamed  of  anything.  I 
am  convinced  of  the  truth  of  what  you  beheve — not  by 
your  creed  or  your  churches,  but  by  the  v^ay  a  young 
girl  can  answer,  all  unknowing  it,  the  arraignment  of 
her  faith.' 

"  The  man  went  back  to  his  own  country  and  his 
own  people,  and  in  after  years  his  Christian  work 
brought  life  and  light  to  hundreds  in  his  native  land. 
But  the  girl  in  America  just  grew  into  busy  woman- 
hood in  a  life  filled  with  the  simple,  everyday  cares 
of  a  wife  and  mother;  and  though  she  treasured  his 
words  in  her  memory,  neither  she  nor  the  world  ever 
realized  how  much  she  had  done  for  the  stranger 
within  the  gates." 

Centuries  ago  Christ  said,  *'  By  their  fruits  ye  shall 
know  them."  Daily  the  truth  of  his  words  is  shown, 
as  Christians  prove  their  faith  by  lives  of  devotion,  and 
so  win  friends  and  acquaintances  to  their  Master. 


249 


FOURTEEN  FAITHFUL  YEARS 

/^NLY  faith  in  God  enabled  Ann  Hasseltine  to 
^^  promise  to  go  with  Adoniram  Judson  in  the  face 
of  his  distinct  warning  that  she  would  be  exposed  to 
''  every  kind  of  want  and  distress;  to  degradation,  in- 
sult, persecution,  and  perhaps  a  violent  death;  "  that 
together  they  would  see  ''  many  weary,  disconsolate 
hours,  and  feel  a  sinking  of  spirit  and  an  anguish  of 
mind,"  of  which  they  could  have  no  conception  before- 
hand. But  she  was  not  afraid ;  she  was  ready  to  endure 
everything  with  her  husband,  because  she  knew  that 
God  would  be  their  helper. 

When  the  promised  difficulties  began  to  come,  she 
did  not  falter.  Assuring  herself,  "  These  are  the  trials 
I  anticipated,  and  which,  with  God's  help,  I  am  ready  to 
meet,"  she  went  serenely  on  her  way. 

When  anxieties  and  persecution  multiplied,  she 
wrote  in  her  journal,  on  August  8,  1813:  ''  We  never 
were  happier,  never  more  contented  in  any  situation 
than  the  present.  We  feel  that  this  is  the  post  to  which 
God  hath  appointed  us;  that  we  are  in  the  path  of 
duty." 

Six  weeks  later  husband  and  wife  sat  down  at  the 
communion  table  in  Rangoon.  Two  other  foreigners 
were  with  them.  And  as  they  received  the  Lord's 
Supper  they  saw  by   faith  the  day  when  thousands 

250 


FOURTEEN  FAITHFUL  YEARS 

of  natives  would  gather  for  a  like  service.  They 
knew  that  day  would  come:  did  they  not  have  God's 
promise  ? 

Years  passed.  Trouble  and  sorrows  increased,  but 
faith  became  stronger,  and  God  enabled  the  devoted 
husband  and  wife  to  go  on  their  way  in  peace.  They 
reaped  the  beginning  of  the  harvest  the  eye  of  faith 
had  seen  when  there  was  not  a  single  convert.  They 
hoped  that  the  worst  was  past.  Their  future  looked 
especially  bright  when  the  king  invited  them  to  make 
their  home  in  Ava,  the  capital  city.  In  1824,  after 
this  removal,  friends  in  America  heard  that  all  was 
going  well  with  them ;  then  two  years  passed  without  a 
word,  so  that  those  who  knew  them  became  frantic 
with  anxiety. 

Their  anxiety  would  have  been  increased  if  they  had 
known  that  war  had  broken  out  between  England  and 
Burmah,  and  that  all  the  foreigners  at  the  capital  were 
suspected  of  being  spies.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  felt 
secure  in  the  knowledge  of  the  king's  favor,  but  on 
June  8,  1824,  they  were  astonished  by  a  visit  from  the 
public  executioner,  who,  without  a  word  of  explana- 
tion, seized  the  missionary,  threw  him  on  the  floor, 
bound  him  with  cords,  and  dragged  him  away  to  the 
prison.  With  admirable  forethought  Mrs.  Judson  at 
once  destroyed  all  letters  and  diaries  in  the  house,  lest 
these  be  found  by  searchers  and  something  in  them  dis- 
torted into  a  semblance  of  evidence  against  her  hus- 
band. 

At  first  the  devoted  wife  was  tempted  to  give  way 
to  despair  as  she  thought  of  her  sorrowful  situation. 
She  was  alone  in  the  midst  of  foes,  the  only  English- 

251 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

speaking  woman  in  the  city.  Her  husband  could  do 
nothing  for  her;  perhaps  she  would  never  see  him 
again. 

Then  faith  triumphed.  She  realized  that  she  was 
not  alone.  God  was  with  her;  she  knew  he  would 
not  forsake  her.  So  she  cast  herself  on  his  care,  and 
asked  for  strength  to  bear  what  was  yet  to  come  to  her 
of  anxiety  and  hardship. 

That  night  she  was  herself  seized  and  placed  under 
guard,  but  no  information  was  given  her  as  to  Mr. 
Judson's  fate;  not  until  morning  did  she  learn  that  he 
was  in  the  death  prison,  bound  with  three  pairs  of  iron 
fetters,  and  fastened  by  the  ankles  to  a  long  horizontal 
pole  several  feet  from  the  ground.  Her  first  thought 
was  of  his  safety,  rather  than  her  own,  so  she  wrote 
a  letter  to  the  king's  sister,  appealing  to  her  to  inter- 
cede on  behalf  of  Mr.  Judson.  When,  a  little  later, 
Mrs.  Judson  was  released,  she  forced  her  way,  in  spite 
of  many  obstacles,  to  the  governor  of  the  city,  who, 
after  listening  to  her,  said  he  could  not  set  the  mission- 
ary free,  but  that  it  was  in  his  power  to  make  his  con- 
finement more  bearable.  Was  she  willing  to  pay  for 
favors  to  him? 

She  did  not  stop  to  think  that  money  was  scarce, 
but  at  once  handed  over  the  equivalent  of  one  hun- 
dred dollars  and  secured  an  order  for  the  removal  of 
her  husband  from  the  dreadful  death  chamber  to  a 
shed  in  the  prison  yard,  where  she  could,  if  she  wished, 
send  him  food. 

The  resourceful  wife  next  hastened  to  the  queen's 
sister  and  asked  her  help.  At  first  the  princess  refused, 
but  her  woman's  heart  was  so  touched  by  continued  en- 

252 


FOURTEEN  FAITHFUL  YEARS 

treaties  that  she  promised  to  do  her  best.  That  her 
efforts  proved  unavaiHng  was  apparent  next  day,  when 
officers  of  the  king  searched  the  home  of  the  mission- 
aries and  confiscated  most  of  their  goods.  Fortunately 
Mrs.  Judson  managed  to  secrete  a  sum  of  money,  other- 
wise she  would  have  been  unable  to  continue  her  fight 
for  her  husband's  life. 

At  first  she  hoped  to  be  successful  within  a  few  days, 
but  weeks  and  months  passed  and  he  was  still  in  the 
prison.  Then,  more  than  ever  before,  she  poured 
out  her  heart  before  him  in  whom  was  her  confidence, 
and  always  she  received  strength  to  make  fresh  efforts. 
Nearly  every  day  for  several  months  she  visited  some 
one  of  the  royal  family.  Hope  would  be  kindled  by 
these  visits,  only  to  be  quickly  dashed  again.  Some- 
times those  who  received  her  treated  her  shamefully. 
Once,  when  Mr.  Judson  was  suffering  from  fever,  and 
five  pairs  of  fetters  were  on  his  ankles,  she  walked 
several  miles  in  the  burning  sun  of  midsummer  to  see 
an  official  who,  she  hoped,  might  do  something  for  his 
relief.  When  he  had  refused  her  request,  she  was  turn- 
ing disappointedly  away,  when  he  demanded  her  silk 
umbrella.  As  it  would  be  dangerous  to  walk  without 
protection,  she  asked  him  for  a  paper  umbrella  in  ex- 
change, explaining  that  she  had  no  money  with  her. 
With  a  brutal  laugh  he  told  her  that  she  was  too  thin  to 
suffer  from  sunstroke.  She  was  thin;  her  sufferings 
had  wasted  her  to  a  skeleton. 

During  these  months  Mrs.  Judson  was  permitted  to 
visit  the  prison.  The  husband's  faith  in  God  was  as 
firm  as  that  of  his  wife.  They  strengthened  one  an- 
other as  they  talked  of  the  day  of  God's  deliverance. 

253 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

Many  times  Mr.  Judson  was  heard  repeating  Madame 
Guyon's  lines: 

No  place  I  seek,  but  to  fulfill, 

In  life  and  death,  thy  lovely  will; 

No  succor  in  my  woes  I  want. 

Except   what   thou   art   pleased  to   grant. 

The  jailers  demanded  bribes  for  every  privilege  al- 
lowed. Frequently  they  would  not  permit  Mrs.  Jud- 
son to  come  during  the  daytime,  so  that  she  had  to 
walk  two  miles  from  the  prison  to  her  home  long  after 
dark.  Once  she  was  allowed  to  take  the  sufferer  a 
pillow,  in  which  she  had  secreted  their  uncompleted 
manuscript  of  the  Burmese  translation  of  the  Bible; 
she  thought  this  would  be  the  safest  place  for  it. 

For  his  protection  in  the  winter  weather  she  secured 
leave,  again  for  a  consideration,  to  build  with  her 
own  hands  a  little  bamboo  hut  in  the  prison  yard. 
Several  months  later,  when  the  hut  was  torn  down  by 
the  jailers,  she  appealed  to  the  governor,  who  assured 
her  that  she  might  as  well  cease  her  efforts ;  it  was  only 
with  difficulty  that  he  had  managed  to  keep  her  hus- 
band from  the  executioner.  Not  until  Mr.  Judson  was 
attacked  by  a  wasting  fever  could  she  take  him  from 
the  small,  unventilated  room  in  which  one  hundred 
prisoners  were  confined  to  a  second  hut  within  the 
walls.  Then,  with  her  babe,  Marie,  who  was  born 
seven  months  after  the  beginning  of  the  imprisonment, 
she  spent  her  time  in  a  hut  without  the  walls,  also 
built  by  herself. 

One  day  the  governor  called  her  to  the  palace. 
When  she  returned  her  husband  had  disappeared.  Al- 
though warned  that  she  had  better  look  to  her  own 

254 


FOURTEEN  FAITHFUL  YEARS 

safety,  she  hurried  in  search  of  him,  carrying  her 
babe.  At  last  she  overtook  him  and  learned  that  he 
had  been  dragged  at  the  end  of  a  rope  a  distance  of 
nine  miles,  without  food,  with  bare  feet,  over  the 
scorching  hot  stones. 

In  the  village  where  the  exhausted  prisoner  was  next 
confined  smallpox  broke  out  in  the  jailer's  family. 
Mrs.  Judson,  forgetting  the  father's  unkindness  to  her, 
nursed  the  sick  children  and  saved  their  lives,  but  the 
effort  almost  cost  her  own.  For  two  months  she  tossed 
in  fever.  Little  Marie,  deprived  of  her  accustomed 
nourishment,  was  pining  away,  till  the  mother,  by 
bribing  the  jailers,  secured  leave  for  Mr.  Judson  to 
take  the  child  daily  to  beg  a  little  nourishment  from 
the  mothers  of  young  children  in  the  village. 

But  even  this  relief  was  not  long  possible.  While 
the  wife  was  still  sick,  the  husband  was  taken  from  her 
side  and  sent  away.  Fearing  that  he  was  to  become 
once  more  an  inmate  of  the  prison  pen,  the  despairing 
wife  prayed  as  she  never  had  prayed  before  for  his 
release.  Still  her  faith  was  strong;  she  knew  that  God 
had  not  forgotten  them. 

The  answer  came  in  an  unexpected  way.  When  the 
English  approached  the  city,  the  general,  as  one  con- 
dition of  his  retirement,  demanded  that  all  prisoners 
should  be  set  free.  Thus  the  husband  was  returned  to 
the  wife,  without  whose  efforts  he  could  never  have 
lived  through  the  long  period  of  imprisonment. 

What  that  reunion  meant  to  the  husband  of  such  a 
wife  may  be  judged  from  his  words,  spoken  to  a  friend, 
to  whom  he  was  once  talking  of  the  highest  possible 
pleasure  in  life:  ''  What  do  you  think  of  floating  down 

255 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

the  Irrawaddy,  on  a  cool,  moonlight  evening  with  your 
wife  by  your  side,  and  your  baby  in  your  arms,  free — 
all  free?  But  you  cannot  understand  it;  it  needs  a 
twenty-one  months'  qualification;  and  I  can  never  re- 
gret my  twenty-one  months  of  misery,  when  I  recall 
that  one  delicious  thrill.  I  think  I  have  had  a  better 
appreciation  of  what  heaven  may  be  ever  since." 

Mrs.  Judson,  too,  gave  expression  to  her  joy  in  the 
deliverance  that  had  come  to  them :  "  I  presume  to 
say,"  she  wrote  in  a  home  letter,  *'  that  no  persons  on 
earth  ever  were  happier  than  we  were.  .  .  .  Our  feel- 
ings continually  dictated  expressions  like  this,  *  What 
shall  we  render  to  the  Lord  for  all  his  benefits  to- 
wards us! '  " 

Benefits  ?  Did  they  call  pain  and  anxiety  and  grief, 
privation  and  prison  and  fetters,  benefits?  Yes! 
When  they  were  in  the  midst  of  the  trials  they  knew 
that  all  would  be  well  with  them ;  and  when  the  trials 
were  past  they  were  reaping  the  joys  that  faith  told 
them  would  be  theirs. 


256 


LI 
THE  FAITH  OF  A  WORKER 

"  May'st  thou  grow  to  know  and  fear  him, 
Love  and  serve  him  all  thy  days; 
Then  go  dwell  forever  near  him, 
See  his  face  and  sing  his  praise." 

'T^HIS  was  the  prayer  of  an  English  mother,  as  she 
-■-  held  her  youngest  daughter  in  her  arms.  That 
daughter  was  Irene  Petrie,  who  became  *'  one  of  the 
first  representatives  of  the  missionary  movement 
among  students  to  fall  in  the  forefront  of  foreign 
missions." 

The  baby  thus  dedicated  to  God  in  infancy  early 
gave  herself  to  the  Saviour.  For  a  time  life  went 
quite  smoothly,  and  it  did  not  seem  hard  to  trust  in  her 
heavenly  Father.  But  when  she  was  yet  a  young  girl 
she  was  put  to  the  test.  Her  father,  a  soldier  who  had 
retired  after  honorable  service,  lost  much  of  his  for- 
tune, and  the  remainder  was  endangered.  For  some 
years  the  young  girl  who  had  been  accustomed  to  a 
care-free  life  was  troubled  as  she  saw  her  parents' 
anxiety.  Her  faith  was  well  grounded,  however.  In 
her  diary  she  made  three  references,  and  only  three,  to 
the  misfortune  which  would  to  so  many  be  the  one 
subject  of  thought  and  conversation;  and  two  of  these 
references  were  an  expression  of  unquestioning  trust. 
Once  she  wrote :  '' '  It  is  better  to  walk  in  the  dark 

257 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

with  God  than  to  go  alone  alone  in  the  light.'  "  And 
again :  "  '  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  pres- 
ent help  in  trouble.'  " 

This  early  misfortune  was  the  best  preparation  for 
life.  When,  later,  the  cause  for  anxiety  was  removed, 
Irene  was  a  sweet,  winsome  woman.  Her  biographer 
mentions  the  fact  that  the  shadow  on  her  early  days 
left  her  "  with  no  tinge  of  sadness,  still  less  of  bitter- 
ness, but  with  a  deep  sense  of  the  seriousness  of  life, 
and  of  our  stewardship  for  everything  we  own,  since 
it  is  *  our  Lord's  money';  with  a  peculiarly  tender 
affection  for  both  her  parents,  and  a  true-hearted 
sympathy  for  the  unsuccessful  and  unfortunate;  above 
all,  with  a  childlike  trust  in  God;  so  when  success  and 
popularity  came  to  her,  they  did  not  intoxicate  her, 
even  in  the  first  glow  of  abundant  life." 

As  a  schoolgirl  she  was  diligent  and  faithful.  Her 
.reports  stated  that  she  was  never  absent  and  never  late. 
Although  frequently  the  youngest  in  her  class,  she  took 
high  honors.  In  the  Cambridge  higher  local  examina- 
tions "  she  was  one  of  three  examinees  in  all  Eng- 
land who  were  '  distinguished  '  in  each  of  the  three 
branches  of  the  history  group." 

In  1885  she  was  presented  at  court,  and  at  once  en- 
tered on  a  life  of  travel,  concerts,  exhibitions,  enter- 
taining, and  being  entertained.  She  was  a  general 
favorite,  but  her  popularity  did  not  spoil  her.  A  friend 
said  of  her  at  the  time:  "  Irene  Petrie  truly  had  great 
gifts,  and  she  not  only  enjoyed  them  gratefully,  as 
coming  from  a  loving  Father's  hand,  but  used  them 
every  one  in  his  service." 

In  all  her  social  life  she  remembered  she  was  "  not 

258 


THE  FAITH  OF  A  WORKER 

her  own."  She  asked  God's  blessing  on  all  she  did. 
To  an  intimate  friend  she  said :  "  I  should  as  soon 
think  of  going  out  to  pay  calls  without  putting  on  my 
hat  as  without  offering  up  a  prayer." 

This  habit  of  prayerful  waiting  on  God  made  her 
dissatisfied  with  the  thought  of  a  life  of  selfish  ease. 
She  made  no  secret  of  the  fact  that  she  dreamed  of 
this  once,  however.  In  her  own  words :  "  There  was 
a  time  when  a  life  of  leisure  for  literature  and  art,  and 
ample  means  as  mistress  of  a  spacious  country  house, 
seemed  most  desirable  to  me.  Now  I  know  that  it 
could  never  satisfy  me." 

It  was  not  long  before  she  began  to  fashion  her  life 
in  accordance  with  the  text,  "  In  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
there  is  no  room  for  an  idle  person."  And  when  she 
sought  something  to  do,  her  question  was :  "  What  is 
least  likely  to  be  done  by  others,  if  I  do  not  do  it?  For 
years  she  was  a  Sunday-school  teacher.  During  eight 
years  of  her  service  it  was  said  that  she  never  ab- 
sented herself  from  her  post.  Moreover,  she  was 
determined  to  be  thoroughly  equipped  for  her  work. 

During  these  years  of  teaching  this  devoted  girl  was 
always  busy.  She  wrote  letters  to  absent  pupils,  enter- 
tained her  large  class  in  sections  in  her  own  home,  and 
gave  noonday  addresses  to  working  women.  At  the 
Prison  Mission  and  numerous  church  gatherings  she 
assisted  with  her  voice.  She  was  instrumental  in  or- 
ganizing the  ''  College  by  Post  "  which  has  done  a 
great  work  in  training  girls  who  have  been  deprived 
of  educational  advantages.  Four  hundred  skilled 
teachers  were  enlisted  in  this  enterprise. 

She  was  not  one  of  those  "  good  people  whose  time 
259 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

seems  to  be  at  the  command  of  everyone  except  their 
nearest  relatives."  There  is  abundant  testimony  to 
her  helpfulness  in  all  that  concerned  her  father  and 
sisters.  In  the  home  entertainments  she  was  a  perfect 
hostess. 

She  was  always  ready  to  put  herself  out  for  the 
neglected.  She  often  placed  herself  by  ''  some  elderly 
or  timid  guest,  or  brought  all  her  lively  fancy  to  the 
entertaining  of  one  who  might  have  been  passed  by 
as  the  most  insignificant  person  present."  It  is  not 
strange,  then,  that  she  was  '*  the  life  of  the  whole  party 
in  a  country  house,  organizing  games  on  a  wet  day, 
telling  stories  to  the  children,  willing  not  only  to  play 
or  to  sing  herself  as  happily  to  an  audience  of  one  as 
to  a  roomful  of  connoisseurs,  but  to  show  off  some 
one's  else  playing  or  singing  to  the  best  advantage  as  a 
skillful  and  sympathetic  accompanist." 

In  October,  1891,  after  a  season  of  more  than  usual 
social  enjoyment,  she  met  Mr.  Robert  P.  Wilder,  the 
founder  of  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement.  "  Then 
the  clear  call  to  leave  the  home  life  was  heard."  She 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  offer- 
ing herself  as  a  missionary.  This  first  letter  was  never 
mailed;  it  was  destroyed  when  she  saw  her  lonely 
father's  grief  at  the  thought  of  the  separation.  A  few 
months  later  his  death  occurred,  and  soon  she  was  on 
her  way  to  India. 

This  was  in  October,  1893.  Four  years  of  activity 
followed.  Then  she  died.  One  year  of  this  time  was 
spent  in  travel,  and  at  home.  But  think  of  what  she 
accomplished  in  the  remaining  three  years : 

''  She  mastered  Urdi  and  Kashmiri,  and  made  some 
260 


THE  FAITH  OF  A  WORKER 

progress  in  Hindi ;  and  she  diligently  instructed  in  the 
Gospel  five  different  classes  of  people;  children  of 
Europeans,  through  Sunday  schools;  Eurasians,  espe- 
cially women  and  children;  her  own  servants,  mostly 
Mohammedans ;  Kashmiri  schoolboys,  mostly  Hindus ; 
and  zenana  women,  Hindu  and  Mohammedan,  of  many 
different  degrees  socially  and  intellectually.  Her  mu- 
sical and  artistic  powers  were  turned  to  account  to 
secure  friends  for  the  work  in  a  variety  of  ways ;  her 
pen  spoke  of  it  to  many  at  home,  both  in  magazine 
articles  and  in  private  letters.  And  though  she  never 
allowed  herself  to  be  drawn  into  society  to  the  hin- 
drance of  her  work,  the  recollection  of  her  intercourse 
with  *  station  people '  made  a  resident  in  India  assert 
that  looking  only  at  her  influence  over  her  compatriots, 
one  could  never  say  that  her  life  had  been  thrown 
away." 

No,  her  life  was  fruitful,  wherever  she  was.  **  She 
did  so  adorn  the  religion  she  professed,"  a  friend 
wrote.  "  She  made  goodness  itself  attractive,"  said 
another.  "  She  was  one  of  those  rare,  beautiful  souls 
who  carry  wherever  they  go  an  atmosphere  of  purity 
and  goodness,  and  insensibly  make  all  who  come  in 
contact  with  them  better  for  their  sweet  influence," 
was  the  comment  of  another.  And  Mrs.  Ashley  Carus- 
Wilson,  her  biographer,  adds:  *'  She  lived  her  religion; 
she  did  not  talk  about  it.  Her  whole  career  was  a  tes- 
timony to  the  hope  that  was  in  her." 


261 


TWELVE 
IN  LIFE  AND  IN  DEATH 


263 


The  gates  of  life  swing  either  way 
On  noiseless  hinges,  night  and  day. 
One  enters  through  the  open  door; 
One  leaves  it,  to  return  no  more. 
And  which  is  happier,  which  more  blest, 
God  knoweth  best. 

We  greet  with  smiles  the  one  who  comes 
Like  sunshine  to  our  hearts  and  homes, 
And  reach  out  longing  hands  with  tears 
To  him  who  in  his  ripened  years 
Goes  gladly  to  his  heavenly  rest. 
God  knoweth  best. 

He  guards  the  gates.    We  need  not  dread 
The  path  those  little  feet  must  tread. 
Nor  fear  for  him  who  from  our  sight 
Passed  through  them  to  the  realms  of  light. 
Both  in  his  loving  care  we  rest. 
God  knoweth  best. 

— Mary  Wharton  Lyon. 


264 


LII 

A  FINISHED  TRANSACTION 

A  WIDOW  in  the  Congo  district  of  Africa  who 
•^^^  had  become  interested  in  Christianity  lost  her 
only  daughter.  She  gave  up  attendance  at  church,  for 
she  said  she  could  no  longer  believe  in  a  God  of  love. 
In  a  missionary  biography  the  story  is  told  of  a 
Christian  who  tried  to  comfort  her.  **  He  told  her 
the  pathetic  story  of  the  widow  of  Nain  in  the  graphic 
manner  natural  to  the  Congo  native.  He  said  the 
poor  widow  had  nursed  and  watched  and  wept  .  .  . 
until  the  dread  day  when  her  son  was  taken  from  her. 
Then  she  screamed  .  .  .  and  cut  herself  ...  in  her 
grief;  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  .  .  .  Just  then  there 
came  along  One  who  was  full  of  majesty  and  gentle- 
ness and  love  .  .  .  bidding  her  not  to  weep,  for  her 
son  was  not  dead,  but  sleeping.  .  .  .  This  stranger 
touched  the  bier  .  .  .  and  her  son  was  restored  to 
life.  '  I  cannot  tell  you  your  child  will  come  back 
again,'  the  native  continued,  *  but  Jesus  is  the  same, 
loving  and  tender  as  he  ever  was.  Trust  in  him,  and 
you  will  meet  your  daughter  again.'  *  Since  that  time,' 
as  the  sorrowing  mother  told  a  friend,  '  my  tears  have 
all  gone,  I  have  trusted  the  Saviour,  and  never  doubted 
his  love.'  " 

Unless  our  faith  in  Christ  is  like  that  of  this  African 
Christian,  giving  us  assurance  that  as  he  rose  from  the 

265 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

dead,  so  also  shall  we  rise,  and  our  loved  ones,  our 
faith  is  vain.  This  was  the  message  Paul  gave  to  his 
friends  at  Corinth,  a  message  that  should  find  an  echo 
in  every  believer's  heart,  not  only  in  days  when  no  one 
is  called  from  the  home  into  God's  presence,  but  also 
in  days  when  faith  is  put  to  the  test  by  the  coming^ 
God's  messenger.  Death. 

An  old  volume,  the  journal  of  John  Winthrop,  Gov- 
ernor of  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony,  tells  how  one 
man  stood  this  hard  test.  He  landed  in  America  in 
July,  1630.  The  very  next  day  his  son,  Henry,  was 
drowned  in  a  creek  near  the  landing  place.  When 
the  father  wrote  to  his  wife,  who  was  still  in  England, 
he  began  the  letter :  ^'  Blessed  be  the  Lord  our  good  and 
merciful  Father  that  yet  hath  preserved  me  in  life  and 
health  to  salute  thee,  and  to  comfort  thy  longing  heart 
with  the  joyful  news  of  my  welfare  and  the  welfare  of 
thy  beloved  children."  Having  thus  sounded  the  note 
of  triumphant  faith,  he  told  gently  the  news  of  Henry's 
death. 

The  record  reminds  one  of  the  inquiry  the  Old 
Testament  prophet  made  of  a  mother  concerning  her 
son,  "  Is  it  well  with  the  lad  ?  "  and  her  reply,  "  It  is 
well."  And  just  a  little  while  before  her  son's  eyes 
had  been  closed  in  death. 

She  was  right,  and  the  Puritan  governor  was  right : 
it  is  well  with  those  whom  God  calls  to  himself,  well 
for  them  and  well  for  us.  For  God  has  taken  them 
away  from  the  limitations  of  life,  and  we  can  look  for- 
ward to  going  to  them  when  God's  call  comes  to  us. 

So  when  the  blinds  are  drawn  and  the  bell  is  muffled 
and  all  the  house  is  still  because  one  who  has  been  sick 

266 


A  FINISHED  TRANSACTION 

has  closed  his  eyes  for  the  last  time  on  earth;  when 
eyes  are  burning  with  tears  and  hearts  are  heavy  be- 
cause of  fearful  anticipations  of  years  spent  without 
the  presence  of  one  dear  to  us,  let  the  words  of  Christ 
sink  into  our  hearts,  "  The  damsel  is  not  dead,  but 
sleepeth."  The  life  of  those  who  love  Jesus  does  not 
end  when  the  eyes  close  in  death;  they  will  open  again 
to  see  the  glory  of  the  King.  Some  day  our  eyes,  too, 
will  close  in  sleep,  and  we  shall  awaken  where  he  is, 
and  where  are  our  loved  ones  who  have  gone  before  us. 

Yet  there  is  apt  to  come  to  every  Christian  a  time 
when  his  faith  in  the  resurrection  falters.  The  tempter 
suggests  doubts,  and  the  suggestion  causes  dismay  and 
worry. 

But  why  ? 

When  a  piece  of  ground  has  been  bought  and  paid 
for,  when  the  title  deeds  have  passed  and  been  recorded, 
when  the  title  has  been  examined  and  insured,  the  busi- 
ness man  does  not  worry  about  the  reality  of  his  in- 
vestment or  wish  that  he  might  do  something  more  to 
get  possession  of  the  property;  he  knows  it  is  his. 
Then  why  do  so  many  Christians  worry  about  death 
and  what  is  to  come  after  death? 

The  absurdity  of  this  worry  is  apparent  when  one 
reads  a  message  like  that  once  penned  to  a  friend  by 
Dr.  Herrick  Johnson :  ''  We  shall  be  going  soon,  and 
we  have  no  new  terms  to  make  with  the  blessed  Lord. 
We  took  him  at  his  word,  and  settled  things  once  for 
all,  and  we  need  not  trouble  ourselves  about  the  final 
issue.  *  I'm  a  poor  sinner  and  nothing  at  all,'  but 
I  can  look  up  into  the  Lord's  face  and  say,  *  Thou 
knowest  all  things;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.'  " 

267 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

There  is  greater  assurance  of  the  reality  of  our 
possession  of  eternal  life  when  once  the  heart  has  been 
given  to  Christ  than  there  is  of  the  reality  of  our  pos- 
session of  earthly  property.  Earthly  possessions  de- 
pend on  the  integrity  of  men,  but  our  possession  of 
eternal  life  depends  on  the  integrity  of  God. 


268 


LIII 

LOOKING  DEATH  IN  THE  FACE 

"VTINETEEN  hundred  years  ago,  when  the  elders 
^  ^  and  the  scribes  threatened  Peter  and  John,  what 
gave  them  strength  to  stand  unmoved?  The  threats 
might  mean  death,  and  they  knew  it.  How  could 
Stephen  calmly  face  death  at  the  hands  of  the  preju- 
diced mob?  How  could  the  early  Christians,  driven 
from  their  homes  because  of  their  faith  in  Christ,  con- 
tinue to  tell  of  their  faith  to  others  when  they  knew 
that  death  might  be  the  penalty? 

There  is  just  one  answer.  Death  had  no  terrors 
for  them.  Christ,  whose  will  they  were  trying  to 
do,  had  conquered  death,  and  so  had  robbed  death  of 
all  its  terrors  for  everyone  who  believed  in  him.  Their 
Lord  was  living;  they  were  sure  of  this.  They  could 
think  of  no  greater  joy  than  to  be  forever  with  him. 
Death  would  mean  only  going  to  him.  Life  on  earth 
was  dear  to  them,  but  life  with  Christ  was  dearer  still. 

Imagine,  then,  what  consternation  there  would  be 
among  the  Christians  when  some  tried  to  persuade 
them  that  there  could  be  no  resurrection  of  the  dead. 
The  heart  would  be  taken  out  of  their  religion  if  they 
should  believe  this,  as  Paul  showed  them  when  he 
argued :  "  If  there  is  no  resurrection  for  you,  then  there 
was  no  resurrection  for  Christ;  if  Christ  is  not  risen, 
then  we  preachers  have  been  lying,  you  who  have  list- 

269 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

ened  to  us  have  been  deceived,  your  faith  is  worthless, 
your  sins  are  unforgiven,  you  are  without  hope.  But 
Christ  rose — I  know  it,  for  I  have  seen  him  and  spoken 
to  him;  therefore  you,  too,  shall  rise;  it  is  his  promise. 
So  your  faith  is  justified,  and  our  preaching  is  not  in 
vain." 

Just  what  belief  in  a  message  like  that  can  mean 
was  shown  to  two  boys  in  Syria,  not  very  far  from 
the  spot  where  the  author  of  this  message  saw  the 
risen  Christ  on  the  road  to  Damascus.  The  boys  were 
camping  one  night  in  a  tent  near  the  place  where  their 
father.  Rev.  William  K.  Eddy,  was  planning  to  preach 
next  day.  After  all  had  lain  down  to  sleep,  Mr.  Eddy 
realized  that  a  bloodvessel  in  his  chest  had  burst.  He 
called  his  servant  and  his  children  and  said,  "  To-day 
our  dear  Dr.  Ford  is  just  sailing  from  America  for 
Syria,  and  I  am  leaving  Syria  for  heaven."  After 
sending  messages  to  his  friends  and  farnily,  he  asked 
his  son  Clarence  to  repeat  the  Twenty-third  Psalm. 
Then  he  said,  *'  Let  us  go  to  sleep."  ''  At  midnight, 
when  others  were  sleeping,  he  went  down  into  the  val- 
ley and  up  into  the  brightness  of  the  life  of  the  re- 
deemed," a  friend  said,  in  telling  of  his  death. 

Another  Christian  showed  his  belief  a  little  differ- 
ently, but  the  meaning  was  the  same :  ''  Some  day  you 
will  read  in  the  papers  that  D.  L.  Moody,  of  East 
Northfield,  is  dead.  Don't  you  believe  a  word  of  it! 
At  that  moment  I  shall  be  more  alive  than  I  am  now.  I 
shall  have  gone  up  higher,  that's  all — out  of  this  old 
clay  tenement  into  a  house  that  is  immortal :  a  body  that 
death  cannot  touch,  that  sin  cannot  taint,  a  body 
fashioned  like  unto  his  glorious  body.     I  was  born 

270 


LOOKING  DEATH  IN  THE  FACE 

of  the  flesh  in  1837.  I  was  born  of  the  Spirit  in  1856. 
That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  may  die.  That  which 
is  born  of  the  Spirit  will  live  forever." 

Faith  like  this  not  only  takes  away  the  fear  of  death, 
but  it  helps  to  solve  the  problem  of  life.  It  becomes 
so  much  easier  to  resist  temptation  when  one  stops  to 
think  that  one  has  a  living  Saviour  who  has  promised 
to  take  us  to  be  with  him,  and  is  even  now  living 
in  our  hearts,  giving  us  the  strength  of  heaven  for  our 
earthly  tasks. 

What  he  can  do  for  a  boy  was  shown  in  1908,  when 
Mark  Njoji,  a  young  convert  from  Bolenge,  West 
Central  Africa,  who  had  come  to  America  for  train- 
ing, was  tempted  to  forget  his  Christian  profession. 
Mark,  the  son  of  the  greatest  witch  doctor  in  a  large 
region,  who  had  been  trained  by  his  father  to  be  his  suc- 
cessor, was  asked  by  a  lecturer  to  give  to  an  American 
audience  an  exhibition  of  witch  dancing.  He  needed 
the  money.  But  he  did  not  hesitate.  *'  I  did  not 
come  here  as  a  witch  doctor,"  he  answered.  "  I  came 
by  the  word  of  the  Father  who  liveth  in  heaven." 

It  is  impossible  to  explain  an  act  like  this  by  say- 
ing that  the  boy  was  deceiving  himself.  He  had 
learned  the  secret  of  triumphant  living  of  which  Dr. 
David  Gregg  has  told:  ''In  a  Scottish  valley,  beside 
a  little  brook,  where  there  was  no  kindly  soil,  a  High- 
lander once  planted  a  tree.  Of  course,  it  wilted  and 
drooped.  But  suddenly,  to  the  surprise  of  every- 
one, it  took  a  new  start  in  life  and  bore  rich 
fruit.  What  was  the  source  of  its  new  life?  An 
examination  revealed  the  secret.  With  a  marvelous 
vegetable    instinct    it    sent    out    a    shoot    which    ran 

271 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

along  and  over  a  little  sheep  bridge,  and  rooted 
itself  in  the  rich  loam  on  the  other  side  of  the  brook. 
From  this  rich  loam  it  drew  its  new  life.  Even  so  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  bridges  the  River  of  Death 
that  flows  between  earth  and  heaven,  and  the  souls 
of  men  who  see  and  know  this  send  out  the  shoot  of 
faith,  and  this  shoot,  running  over  the  bridge  between 
earth  and  heaven,  roots  itself  in  the  spiritual  realities 
beyond,  and  draws  spiritual  life  from  the  very  fullness 
of  God!" 


272 


LIV 
OF  ONE  BLOOD 

^T^HE  expression  of  faith  is  the  same  the  world  over. 
■^  However  people  may  differ  in  race  or  education 
or  situation,  when  they  show  that  they  have  ''  convic- 
tion of  things  not  seen"  distinctions  disappear;  the 
recent  convert  from  heathenism  becomes  like  the  man 
who  is  enjoying  the  heritage  that  comes  from  genera- 
tions of  Christian  ancestors.  For  God  hath  "  made  no 
distinction  between  us  and  them,  cleansing  their  hearts 
by  faith." 

A  missionary  in  China  has  told  of  an  old  woman 
who  presented  herself  for  baptism  and  was  asked  as  to 
her  faith.  She  answered,  "  I  am  a  dull  old  woman,  but 
I  know  that  I  am  a  sinner,  and  that  the  Father  can 
save  me,  the  Lord  can  save  me,  the  Holy  Spirit  can 
save  me.  More  than  this  I  do  not  understand."  Of 
course  she  was  baptized.  A  year  later  she  died.  When 
the  end  came,  she  prayed  aloud,  "  Father,  save  me. 
Lord  Jesus,  save  me,  Holy  Spirit,  save." 

A  missionary  in  India  who  spoke  of  baptizing  forty 
people,  said  in  a  letter  to  friends  at  home  that  two 
nights  before  the  baptism  the  head  men  of  the  village 
came  down,  angry,  furious,  because  this  work  had  been 
going  on.  They  came  down  at  ten  o'clock  at  night, 
called  the  men  out  of  their  homes,  and  said  to  them, 
"  Now,  then,  those  men  that  are  going  to  become  Chris- 

273 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

tians  stand  on  one  side;  those  who  are  going  to  be  with 
us  stand  on  the  other  side.  From  the  men  w^ho  be- 
come Christians  we  take  away  work  and  land;  w^e  deny 
them  the  village  washerwoman ;  we  deny  them  the  vil- 
lage barber ;  we  deny  all  we  can.  Now,  those  who  are 
going  to  be  Christians  go  on  that  side."  Everyone  that 
was  under  instructions  for  baptism  took  his  place  as  a 
Christian. 

The  biographer  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Fry,  the  English 
Quakeress  who  devoted  her  life  to  alleviating  the  con- 
dition of  prisoners,  tells  how  many  afflictions  came  to 
her  in  later  life.  A  much-loved  daughter  died,  her 
father  lost  his  fortune,  and  the  family  was  compelled  to 
leave  the  comfortable  country  home.  Severe  illness 
came  to  one  and  another  of  the  home  circle.  In  all 
these  misfortunes  she  had  the  sympathy  of  millions. 
William  Wilberforce  wrote  to  her : 

''  You,  I  doubt  not,  will  be  enabled  to  feel,  as  well 
as  know,  that  even  this  event  will  be  one  of  those 
which,  in  your  instance,  are  working  for  good.  You 
have  been  enabled  to  exhibit  a  bright  specimen  of 
Christian  excellence  in  doing  the  will  of  God,  and  I 
doubt  not  you  will  manifest  a  similar  specimen  in  the 
harder  and  more  difficult  exercise  of  suffering  it." 

The  confidence  of  her  correspondent  was  justified. 
In  her  time  of  trouble,  she  showed  the  same  trust 
which  had  enabled  her  to  undertake  many  difficult 
tasks  in  her  Master's  name.  Once,  during  her  time 
of  greatest  affliction,  she  w^as  attending  Quaker  meet- 
ing on  First  Day.  The  big  tears  rolled  down  her  face 
in  quick  succession,  testifying  to  her  sorrow  and 
anguish.     Yet    before    the    session    ended    she    rose, 

274 


OF  ONE  BLOOD 

calmed  herself,  and  spoke  most  thrillingly  from  the 
words :  "  Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him." 
In  a  letter  to  her  children,  she  expressed  the  same  faith : 
"  I  have  found  such  help  and  strength  in  prayer  to 
God;  and,  highly  mysterious  as  this  dispensation  may 
be  in  some  points  of  view,  yet  I  think  I  have  frequently, 
if  not  generally,  been  able  to  say,  '  Not  as  I  will,  but  as 
thou  wilt.'  " 

So  like  this  expression  of  faith  that  would  not  shrink 
was  the  message  in  the  midst  of  bitter  anguish  of  an 
American  negro  of  whom  Rev.  D.  Baines  Griffiths  has 
told  in  The  Sunday  School  Times: 

"  It  was  fifteen  minutes  past  opening  time  when  the 
cashier  of  the  bank  reached  his  desk.  After  attend- 
ing to  the  wants  of  a  lady  who  had  been  waiting  to  see 
him,  he  turned  to  his  colleagues  and  explained  his 
tardiness.  '  My  darkey  was  burned  out  last  night,'  he 
said.  The  clerks  had  heard  before  of  the  cashier's 
colored  protege,  so  that  their  interest  w^as  aroused  as 
the  cashier  proceeded  to  details. 

"  His  darkey  friend  was  a  middle-aged  man  who 
lived  a  few  streets  away.  For  some  years  he  had  been 
working  at  the  packing-house  in  the  south  end.  By 
careful  planning  he  had  succeeded  in  building  a  '  resi- 
dence,' a  three-roomed  cottage,  hardly  more  than  a 
shanty.  The  fire  insurance  men  smilingly  expressed 
their  regrets  that  they  could  not  accept  the  risk.  But 
it  was  a  royal  home  for  him  and  his  wife  and  babies. 
Moreover,  the  happy  time  had  come,  and  he  was  mak- 
ing his  last  payments  on  his  property. 

*'  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  fire  had  broken 
out,  the  flames  doing  speedy  and  thorough  work.    The 

275 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

firemen  took  supper  that  evening  at  the  usual  hour,  and 
they  were  not  fatigued.  Sympathetic  neighbors  at- 
tended to  Abe's  wife,  the  little  folks  being  cared  for 
by  the  banker's  family. 

** '  We  knew  that  Abe  would  soon  be  coming  from 
work,'  the  cashier  said,  *  and  we  hated  to  see  him  turn 
the  corner  and  see  what  had  happened  to  his  little  all. 
Pretty  soon  we  saw  him  come  into  the  road,  and  we 
watched  and  waited.  Our  hearts  fairly  ached  for  the 
poor  fellow.  All  at  once  he  stopped  and  staggered. 
Then  he  picked  himself  together,  and  came  slowly 
toward  the  desolation.  The  neighbors  stood  around 
wanting  to  say  something,  but  all  of  us  seemed  tongue- 
tied.  When  the  man  reached  the  group,  as  we  stood 
near  the  ruins  of  his  home,  he  took  off  his  hat  and 
bowed  his  head.  Then  we  heard  him  say,  quietly  but 
clearly,  "  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken 
away.    Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord."  ' 

"  '  I  tell  you,  men,'  continued  the  cashier,  as  he 
wiped  his  eyes,  '  I'm  not  much  on  churches,  and  you 
know  it;  but  I  think  I'd  give  every  dollar  I'm  worth 
if  I  could  have  a  religion  like  that.'  " 

It  is  the  glory  of  those  who  trust  in  Christ  that  their 
possession  is  not  for  themselves  only:  all  may  share 
it  who  will.  For  God  has  made  *'  of  one  blood  all 
nations  of  men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the 
earth." 


276 


LV 

FRET  NOT 

\T /"HY  does  a  Christian  allow  himself  to  be  afraid, 
^  ^  when  he  knows  that  God  is  his  Father,  and  that 
he  himself  is  God's  son?  A  Scotch  lad  learned  the 
folly  of  such  fear  when  he  was  walking  by  night  with 
his  father.  He  was  trembling  because  of  the  imagi- 
nary terrors  of  the  darkness.  His  father  drew  him 
close  to  his  side,  threw  the  skirt  of  his  mantle  over 
the  boy's  head  and  led  him  homeward.  The  memory 
of  the  way  in  which  fear  took  its  flight, helped  him 
in  later  years,  when  he  was  tempted  to  distrust  God. 
God,  his  Father,  was  by  his  side :  why  should  he  fear  ? 

Yet  every  Christian  has  his  seasons  of  discourage- 
ment and  fear,  when  he  feels  that  everything  is  against 
him  and  that  he  might  just  as  well  give  up  trying. 
Some  people  seem  to  have  this  feeling  most  of  the  time ; 
others  give  way  to  depressing  thought  once  in  a  while, 
perhaps  when  something  has  gone  wrong  in  business, 
or  when  the  maid  has  left  without  warning,  or  when 
one  of  the  children  has  been  guilty  of  some  grave 
fault.  But  whatever  the  reason  given  for  his  dis- 
couragement, the  real  secret  is  in  the  Christian  himself. 
He  is  not  living  close  enough  to  God.  The  heart  that 
is  fixed,  trusting  in  God,  is  superior  to  discouragement 
and  fear. 

For  the  earnest  Christian  there  is  never  a  night  so 
^77 


THE  BOOK  OF' FAITH  IN  GOD 

dark  that  the  light  of  day  does  not  break  after  it. 
There  is  never  a  storm  so  fierce  that  it  is  not  followed 
by  peace  and  sunshine.  Never  is  life  so  full  of  bitter- 
ness and  woe  that  God  does  not  have  waiting  some 
rich  blessing  for  that  life.  Courage,  then!  Is  the 
burden  heavy?  He  will  help  us  bear  it.  Is  the  heart 
sad?  He  knows  the  heart's  bitterness.  Is  our  sky 
dark?  The  day  will  dawn,  and  we  shall  yet  sing  for 
joy. 

Yet  we  do  give  way  to  the  temptation  to  think  that 
God  has  forgotten  us  and  his  promise  to  be  with  us. 
Sometimes  it  seems  to  us  that  God  has  so  many  more 
important  things  to  think  of  that  he  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  remember  about  our  needs.  Then  we  must 
remind  ourselves  that  he  has  promised  to  be  with 
his  people;  that  is  enough.  He  ''  is  not  a  man,  that  he 
should  lie."  His  word  is  never  forgotten.  Long  years 
before  the  Israelites  were  taken  into  captivity  the 
return  from  the  captivity  was  promised.  Centuries 
before  Christ  came  into  the  world  God  told  of  his  com- 
ing. Ages  before  we  were  born  God  thought  about 
us,  made  plans  for  us,  and  he  is  only  waiting  our 
leave  to  carry  out  his  plans,  to  let  us  read  his  thoughts, 
to  love  us  freely. 

There  are  those  who  are  perfectly  ready  to  say  they 
will  believe  in  God's  love  if  he  does  certain  things,  but 
that  his  failure  to  do  these  things  will  make  them 
doubt.  This  is  not  faith.  To  the  Christian  God  is 
God  and  God  is  good,  though  the  heavens  fall.  The 
faith  of  Daniel's  friends  who  were  cast  into  the  furnace 
would  not  have  been  disturbed  if  God  had  not  seen  fit 
to  deliver  them  from  the  fire.     It  was  enough  for 

278 


FRET  NOT 

them  to  know  that  God  is  able  to  deliver  his  own. 
Just  how  he  will  deliver  them,  or  when,  is  another 
matter,  which  can  safely  be  left  with  him. 

There  are  those  who  are  ready  to  trust  in  God  if 
they  can  see  just  how  he  is  going  to  take  care  of  them. 
But  is  that  trust?  There  are  others  who  are  ready 
to  trust  God  absolutely,  whether  they  can  see  or  not; 
they  are  perfectly  willing  to  trust  him  in  the  dark. 
That  was  the  way  the  widow  to  whom  God  sent  Elijah 
trusted  God.  She  believed  God's  Word,  and  was  ready 
to  do  his  will,  even  if  it  seemed  most  unlikely  that 
there  could  be  any  issue  but  starvation  for  herself  and 
her  boy.  Such  faith  as  that  is  always  justified  by 
results. 

God  makes  sure  provision  for  those  who  obey 
him,  according  to  his  knowledge  of  their  needs.  He 
knows  that  it  is  not  always  best  to  give  us  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  an  ample  supply  of  creature  comforts 
ahead  of  us,  enough  for  many  years;  but  if  we  are 
doing  his  will,  we  can  count  on  him  to  give  us  what  we 
need  when  we  need  it.  When  the  waters  of  Cherith 
were  gone,  and  not  till  then,  God  showed  Elijah  the 
way  to  find  more  water.  When  the  widow's  last 
portion  of  meal  was  gone,  and  not  till  then,  God  gave 
her  another  measure.  Elijah  knew  it  would  be  so; 
therefore  he  did  not  spoil  his  enjoyment  of  the  bless- 
ings he  had  by  mournful  doubts  as  to  what  he  would 
do  when  these  were  gone.  Why  do  we  not  follow  his 
example  ?  Why  do  we  doubt  and  fret  and  fear  ?  Why 
are  we  so  like  the  old  fisherman  in  the  sketch  by  "  Jen- 
nette  Lee,"  who  said : 

*'  I  used  to  fret  about  everything — fretted  for  fear 
279 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

it  would  blow,  and  for  fear  it  wouldn't  blow.  I  never 
put  down  a  net  nor  a  lobster-pot  that  I  didn't  see  'em 
bein'  chewed  up  or  knocked  to  pieces.  I'd  see  a  shark 
swimmin'  right  through  a  big  hole — rip-p-p-tear !  I 
could  see  it  as  plain  as  if  I  was  down  under  the  water. 
I  can  see  it  just  the  same  now  if  I  shut  my  eyes,  only 
it's  fishes  I  see  swimmin'  into  my  net  now — shoals  of 
'em.     They  ain't  a  shark  in  sight !  " 

Nor  will  there  be  anything  really  disquieting  in  the 
sight  of  those  who  heed  the  message  of  him  who  said: 
"  Fear  thou  not;  for  I  am  with  thee;  be  not  dismayed ; 
for  I  am  thy  God;  I  will  strengthen  thee;  yea,  I  will 
help  thee ;  yea,  I  will  uphold  thee  with  the  right  hand 
of  my  righteousness." 


280 


LVI 
THE  FAITH  OF  A  LEPER 

WHEN  Mary  Reed  discovered  that  she  was  a  leper, 
she  had  been  a  missionary  in  India  for  five 
years,  and  had  been  in  America  for  her  health  for 
several  months. 

At  once  she  made  her  arrangements  to  return  to 
India,  deciding  that  God  had  permitted  her  to  contract 
the  disease  in  order  that  she  might  be  his  messenger  to 
the  afflicted  lepers  of  India.  "  Not  with  a  sigh,  but 
with  a  song,"  she  prayed,  "  thy  will  be  done." 

To  one  member  of  her  family  only,  her  sister  Rena, 
did  she  tell  of  her  disease  and  her  purpose  in  return- 
ing to  India,  for  she  wished  to  spare  others  the  pain 
of  what  she  felt  must  prove  a  last  farewell.  When 
she  told  her  parents  of  her  purpose  to  return  to  India 
at  once,  she  begged  them  to  let  her  go  without  a  good- 
by  kiss.     So,  on  July  7,  1891,  she  left  them. 

Specialists  in  London  and  Paris  confirmed  the  ver- 
dict of  American  physicians,  that  she  was  a  victim  of 
leprosy.  Her  right  forefinger  was  insensible  to  pain 
in  the  first  two  joints,  and  there  was  a  leprous  spot 
on  one  cheek. 

Not  until  she  arrived  in  Bombay  did  she  remove  the 
seal  of  silence  from  her  sister's  lips.  Then,  on  learn- 
ing that  a  friend  had  written  the  facts  to  New  York, 
and  fearing  that  the  receipt  of  news  from  others  would 
kill  her  parents,  she  wrote  to  her  mother : 

281 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

"  After  prayerful  consideration,  I  find  it  wisest  and 
kindest  to  tell  you,  or  to  have  dear,  brave-hearted  Sister 
Rena  tell,  with  whom  I  intrusted  this  mystery  of  God's 
Providence,  to  tell  you  what  she  pledged  to  keep  from 
you.  She  will  tell  you  how  our  loving  Heavenly 
Father,  who  is  '  too  wise  to  err,'  has,  in  his  infinite  love 
and  wisdom,  chosen,  called,  and  prepared  your  daugh- 
ter to  teach  lessons  of  patience,  endurance,  and  sub- 
mission, while  I  shall  have  the  joy  of  ministering  to  a 
class  of  people  who,  but  for  the  preparation  which  has 
been  mine  for  this  special  work,  would  have  no  helper 
at  all;  and  while  I  am  called  apart  with  these  needy 
creatures  who  hunger  and  thirst  for  salvation,  and 
for  comfort  and  cheer,  he,  who  has  called  and  cheered 
me,  promises  that  he,  himself,  will  be  to  me  as  a  little 
sanctuary,  where  I  am  to  abide,  and  abiding  in  him,  I 
shall  have  a  supply  of  all  my  needs." 

To  a  friend  who  asked  her  why  she  was  returning 
to  India,  when  it  was  evident  she  was  in  poor  health, 
she  said,  "  My  Father  knows  the  way  I  go,  and  I  am 
sure  it  is  the  right  way."  When,  later,  the  friend 
learned  the  real  reason  for  the  missionary's  return,  she 
suggested  that  prayer  be  made  for  recovery ;  the  brave 
leper  replied: 

"  I  have  not  yet  received  any  assurance  of  healing ; 

perhaps  I  can  serve  my  Father  better  thus."    Always 

this  was  her  spirit,  as  she  indicated  by  her  frequent 

singing  of  the  words : 

"  No  chance  has  brought  this  ill  to  me, 
'Tis  God's  sweet  will,  so  let  it  be; 
He  seeth  what  I  cannot  see. 
There  is  a  need  be  for  each  pain, 
And  he  will  make  it  one  day  plain 
That  earthly  loss  is  heavenly  gain." 

282 


THE  FAITH  OF  A  LEPER 

Miss  Reed  became  Superintendent  of  the  Asylum 
for  Lepers  at  Chandag,  where  she  began  to  be  a  source 
of  great  joy  to  the  sufferers.  A  visitor,  who  found  her 
soon  after  the  beginning  of  her  work,  wrote : 

"  She  was  binding  up,  with  her  own  hands,  the  hor- 
rible wounds,  and  speaking  soothing  words  of  comfort 
to  those  poor  distressed  ones.  It  has  always  been  a 
trial  to  her  to  witness  suffering  in  others,  yet  she  is 
most  devoted  in  her  attention,  and  so  gentle  and  kind. 
We  were  very  much  surprised  to  find  her  so  active 
and  cheerful,  and  looking  so  well.  She  told  us  she 
had  never  felt  better  in  health,  more  cheerful  in  spirits, 
nor  happier  in  service  than  she  does  now." 

The  visitor  went  on  to  say  that  the  state  of  her  feel- 
ings was  "  not  the  result  of  any  medical  treatment  she 
has  adopted,  as  she  gave  up  all  treatment  of  that  sort 
under  a  strong  sense  that  God  only  required  of  her 
faith  in  him  and  in  his  holy  power." 

The  remedies  she  denied  herself  she  gladly  used  for 
the  lepers  in  her  charge,  for  she  felt  this  as  surely  a 
part  of  her  work  as  she  believed  it  to  be  a  part  of  her 
life  to  leave  herself  absolutely  in  God's  hands.  She 
trusted  in  his  grace,  and  always  she  found  it  sufficient. 

"  The  everlasting  arms  are  underneath,  upholding 
and  keeping  me  trustful,"  she  wrote  in  1892.  "  I  find 
the  love  of  Jesus  adequate  consolation,  soothing  and 
cheering  my  heart." 

Again  she  quoted  from  Ruskin :  "  In  our  whole  life- 
melody  the  music  is  broken  off  here  and  there  by 
*  rests,'  and  we  foolishly  think  that  we  have  come  to 
the  end  of  the  tune.  God  sends  a  time  of  forced 
leisure,  a  time  of  sickness  and  disappointed  plans,  and 

283 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

makes  a  sudden  pause  in  the  choral  hymn  of  our  lives, 
and  we  lament  that  our  voices  must  be  silent  and  our 
part  missing  in  the  music  which  ever  goes  up  to  the 
ear  of  the  Creator.  .  .  .  Not  without  design  does  God 
write  the  music  of  our  lives.  Be  it  ours  to  learn  the 
time  and  not  be  discouraged  at  the  '  rests.'  If  we  look 
up,  God  will  beat  the  time  for  us." 

She  rejoiced  as,  one  by  one,  the  lepers  became  Chris- 
tians. In  December,  1893,  she  was  able  to  say  that  of 
the  fifty-nine  inmates  of  the  asylum,  all  but  six  were 
Christians.  Not  only  so,  but  there  were  marked  trans- 
formations in  the  way  of  those  who  had  been  Chris- 
tians. "  Gentleness,  patience,  and  peace  are  now  mani- 
fest in  the  lives  of  some  who,  one  year  ago,  were 
unhappy  and  so  quarrelsome  that  I  was  often  called 
several  times  daily  to  settle  differences,"  she  testified. 

As  the  disease  became  more  marked,  her  sufferings 
increased.  But  she  had  no  complaint  to  make.  "  I  am 
kept  through  all,"  she  wrote,  in  1897.  "The  '  Friend 
that  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother,  is  so  tender,  and 
his  presence  is  salvation  from  sin  and  from  care.  His 
love  satisfieth." 

The  work  of  the  asylum  would  have  been  tremen- 
dous for  a  strong  woman,  for  there  were  supplied  only 
two  assistants,  both  natives.  The  strain  of  looking 
after  the  establishment  was  terrific,  but  she  testified 
that  God  helped  her  in  answer  to  her  daily  prayer  for 
help.     And  she  was  glad. 

Years  passed,  and  still  Mary  Reed's  work  of  faith 
went  on.  The  progress  of  the  disease  seemed  to  be 
stayed,  and  she  was  able  to  work  with  more  comfort. 
Gradually  the  institution  was  improved,  until  it  became 

284 


THE  FAITH  OF  A  LEPER 

one  of  the  finest  leper  asylums  in  the  world.  Scores 
were  brought  to  share  her  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
last  days  of  hundreds  were  brightened  by  the  ministry 
of  the  devoted  woman  who  heard  God's  call  to  go  out 
to  the  verge  of  the  Himalayas  in  his  service. 

A  letter  written  to  her  sister  Rena  on  August  20, 
1899,  gives  a  wonderful  glimpse  of  Miss  Reed's  life  of 
faith. 

*' 1891-1899.  Eight  years.  Yes,  eight  years.  But  the 
promise,  '  Lo !  I  am  with  you  alway,'  or,  as  the  Re- 
vised Version  of  the  Bible  says,  *  all  the  days '  is  true. 

"  It  was  sweet  and  good  of  you  to  remember  to  write 
me  on  the  morning  of  July  7th.  I,  too,  was  reminded  on 
that  day,  six  weeks  ago,  that  it  was  the  anniversary  of  a 
day  never  to  be  forgotten  by  you  and  me.  I  lived  over 
again  the  scene  in  the  little  corner  bedroom  that  morn- 
ing and  at  the  railroad  station  at  Beckett's,  and  oh, 
the  heart-breaking  memories  of  dear  mother's  last  look, 
and  of  father's  trustful  prayer  for  me  at  the  family 
altar  that  morning,  and  the  good-bys !  Ah,  there  will 
be  no  good-by  in  heaven.  No  more  parting,  no  more 
tears,  no  sickness,  no  sinners,  no  Satan!  Satan  is 
very  much  alive  and  very  busy  and  manifest  here  these 
days,  but  I  cherish  the  blessed  hope  that  these  are  '  the 
latter  days  '  of  which  we  read  in  the  Gospels.  .  .  . 

"  As  father  used  to  sing  while  at  work  in  the  shop : 

*' '  Messiah  will  reign,  despite  all  his  foes : 

His  mandates  are  fraught  with  glac^ness  and  peace, 
His  kingdom,  blood-bought,  must  ever  increase; 
Till  the  whole   earth   be  filled  with   the  knowledge 
Of  the  Lord  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.' 

^*  Now,  how  am  I  to  reply  to  your  questions,  '  Do 
you  not  think  you  will  come  home  again  ?    It  is  not  im- 

285 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

possible,  is  it  ? '  For  I  don't  know  yet.  And  I  am  not 
in  the  habit  of  thinking  out  plans  for  the  future.  I 
simply  know  that  my  heart  would  greatly  rejoice 
should  it  prove  to  be  the  Lord's  plan  that  we  should 
all  meet  once  more  in  our  earthly  home.  Sometimes 
the  star  of  hope  does  rise  in  my  heart,  that  he  does 
prepare  this  joy  for  us,  but  then  the  tiny  star  sets 
again  and  new  lessons  of  patience,  trust,  waiting,  and 
some  little  suffering  are  given  to  be  learned.  I  am  not 
quite  so  well  during  the  past  week,  though  I  am  not 
really  ill."  .  .  . 

Seven  years  longer  the  disease  manifested  itself. 
The  affected  finger  continued  lifeless,  and  finally  burst 
open.  "  But  by  1906,"  to  quote  the  words  of  W.  M. 
Banner,  Secretary  of  the  Mission  to  Lepers,  *'  through 
the  providence  of  God,  in  answer  to  the  faith  of  his 
people  and  the  prayers  offered  on  her  behalf,  the  dis- 
ease became  arrested.  The  finger  regained  its  normal 
condition.  The  anesthetic  patch  on  her  cheek  resumed 
its  sensitiveness.  Her  physical  condition  was  so  greatly 
improved  that  she  was  advised  she  could  make  a  home 
journey  once  more  without  the  slightest  danger  of 
transmitting  the  disease  to  anyone. 

"  You  won't  go  back,  will  you?  "  was  the  first  ques- 
tion that  greeted  her  when  she  reached  the  Ohio  home. 
*'  Oh,  yes !  "  was  the  reply.  **  Half  of  my  heart  is 
already  in  India."  She  remained  but  a  month,  then 
was  off  to  the  work  for  the  suffering  to  which  she  felt 
she  had  been  peculiarly  set  apart. 

After  seven  years  more  she  has  given  to  her  charges, 
she  wrote  to  Mr.  Banner :  "  I  am  still  kept  in  won- 
drously  good  health,  as  the  disease  is  seemingly  holden. 

286 


THE  FAITH  OF  A  LEPER 

This  is  to  God's  praise,  and  deeply  and  humbly  thank- 
ful my  heart  is  to  him  who  thus  continues  to  manifest 
his  saving  power  through  the  Great  Physician,  our 
blessed  Lord  and  Saviour. 

"  I  shall  be  fifty-nine  my  next  birthday,  December 
fourth,  and  I  begin  to  realize  it  will  be  necessary  to 
lay  down  some  of  the  duties,  or  make  them  over  to 
some  one  whom  the  Lord  will,  I  trust,  call  in  due  time 
to  help  with  correspondence,  accounts,  etc.,  in  the  work 
here." 

So,  "  in  a  strength  which  is  distinctly  God-given, 
she  labors  on  in  faith  and  hope,"  Mr.  Banner  writes, 
*'  receiving  a  present  reward  in  the  knowledge  that  in 
the  deepest  sense  it  is  still  true  that  '  the  lepers  are 
cleansed.'  " 


287 


LVII 

"THE  LORD  IS  MY  SHEPHERD"' 

^TpHERE  is  a  song  of  one  hundred  and  seventeen 
-■-  words  about  which  perhaps  more  has  been  writ- 
ten than  about  any  other  poem  ever  composed.  It 
was  written  by  a  Jew  several  thousand  years  ago,  but 
it  is  as  fresh  to-day  as  when  it  was  first  sung.  It  is 
called  the  Twenty-third  Psalm,  and  is  a  song  for  all 
men,  of  every  age,  of  every  station  in  life.  For  three 
thousand  years  its  words  have  fallen  from  the  lips  of 
those  waiting  to  pass  from  beds  of  pain  into  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Saviour.  They  have  been  spoken  trem- 
blingly by  those  whose  many  years  of  life  have  revealed 
to  them  their  dependence  on  God ;  by  men  and  women 
in  the  full  tide  of  strength;  and  by  young  men  and 
women  eagerly  looking  out  on  life  which  they  felt  was 
all  before  them.  They  have  been  lisped  by  little  children 
who  knew  little  of  what  sin  and  suffering  mean,  but 
they  have  known  the  Shepherd,  and  have  put  their  trust 
in  him. 

When  in  1681  Isabel  Alison  and  Isabel  Harvie  were 
put  to  death  at  Edinburgh  for  their  faithfulness  to  the 
terms  of  the  Scottish  Covenant,  they  sang  this  song. 
In  1834,  as  he  lay  dying,  Edward  Irving,  a  deposed 
minister  of  the  Scotch  Presbyterian  Church,  conscious 

*  See  Prothero's  "  The  Psalms  in  Human  Life,"  and  Stod- 
dart's  "  The  Old  Testament  in  Life  and  Literature." 

288 


"  THE  LORD  IS  MY  SHEPHERD  " 

of  the  righteousness  of  his  life,  slowly  repeated  the 
same  matchless  words.  In  1712,  Joseph  Addison 
wrote  in  The  Spectator  one  of  the  most  famous  ver- 
sions of  the  Psalm.  Macaulay  says  in  his  essay  on 
Addison :  *'  Of  the  Psalms  his  favorite  was  that  which 
represents  the  Ruler  of  all  things  under  the  endearing 
image  of  a  shepherd,  whose  crook  guides  the  flock  safe 
through  gloomy  and  desolate  glens,  to  meadows  well 
watered  and  rich  with  herbage.  On  that  goodness  to 
which  he  ascribed  all  the  happiness  of  his  life  he  relied 
in  the  hour  of  death  with  the  love  that  casteth  out 
fear."  As  a  child  Byron  was  taught  the  simple  words, 
and  never  forgot  them,  while  Ruskin  rejoiced  that  he 
had  learned  them  in  childhood.  He  declared  that  seven 
of  the  Psalms,  of  which  the  twenty-third  was  one, 
when  "  well  studied  and  believed,  suffice  for  all  per- 
sonal guidance." 

When  James  Russell  Lowell  was  twenty-five  years 
old  he  wrote  to  a  bereaved  friend :  "  The  older  I  grow, 
the  less  am  I  affected  by  the  outward  observance  and 
form  of  religion  and  the  more  confidingness  and  trust- 
ingness  do  I  feel  toward  God.  He  leadeth  me  in  green 
pastures.  Trust  in  Providence  is  no  longer  a  meaning- 
less phrase  to  me.  The  thought  of  it  has  oftener 
brought  happy  tears  into  my  eyes  than  any  other 
thought  except  that  of  my  beloved  Maria.  It  is  there- 
fore no  idle  form  when  I  tell  you  to  lean  on  God.  I 
know  that  it  is  needless  to  say  this  to  you,  but  I  know 
also  that  it  is  always  sweet  and  comforting  to  have 
our  impulses  seconded  by  the  sympathy  of  our  friends. 

"  We  arc  tall  enough  to  reach  God's  hand, 
The  angels  are  no  taller." 

289 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

Sir  William  Hamilton,  the  philosopher,  in  1856, 
when  he  was  dying,  was  consoled  by  the  words  of  verse 
four,  "Thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me."  John 
Howard,  the  father  of  prison  reform,  fearlessly  mak- 
ing his  investigations  in  the  damp,  unwholesome  cells, 
ill  lighted  and  badly  ventilated,  where  prisoners  were 
confined  without  exercise  or  employment,  facing  small- 
pox and  jail  fever,  strengthened  himself  by  the  remem- 
brance of  this  Psalm.  ''  Trusting,"  he  says,  ''  in  divine 
providence,  and  believing  myself  in  the  way  of  my  duty, 
I  visit  the  most  noxious  cells,  and  while  so  doing  '  I  fear 
no  evil.'  "  Alexander  Duff,  missionary  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Scotland  to  India,  made  the  Psalms 
his  daily  food.  On  one  of  his  perilous  journeys  in 
the  Himalayas  he  saw  a  native  shepherd  followed  by 
his  flock.  The  man  frequently  stopped  and  looked 
back.  If  he  saw  a  sheep  drawing  too  near  the  edge  of 
the  precipice,  he  would  go  back  and  apply  his  crook 
to  one  of  the  hind  legs,  and  gently  pull  it  back  till  the 
animal  joined  the  rest.  Going  up  to  the  shepherd,  he 
noticed  that  he  had  a  long  rod,  as  tall  as  himself,  and 
twisted  around  the  lower  half  of  a  thick  bar  of  iron. 
The  region  was  infested  with  wolves  and  other  dan- 
gerous animals,  which  in  the  night  time  prowled  about 
the  place  where  the  sheep  lay.  With  his  long  rod  the 
shepherd  could  strike  the  animal  such  a  blow  as  would 
make  it  flee.  This  brought  to  the  remembrance  of  the 
traveler  the  expression  of  David,  the  shepherd,  '*  Thy 
rod  and  thy  staff,  they  comfort  me,"  and  saved  it,  as  he 
thought,  from  the  charge  of  tautology,  the  staff  refer- 
ring to  God's  hold  of  the  sheep,  the  rod  to  his  defense 
against  his  enemies.    When  he  himself  lay  dying,  and 

290 


"  THE  LORD  IS  MY  SHEPHERD  " 

apparently  unconscious,  his  daughter  repeated  for  him 
the  Twenty-third  Psahn,  and  he  responded  at  the  end 
of  each  verse. 

Austin  Abbott,  at  one  time  dean  of  the  New  York 
University  Law  School,  once  said,  when  speaking  of 
the  words,  "  Thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me  " : 
"At  my  father's  house  there  is  a  little  closet  where  were 
kept  canes  and  walking-sticks.  In  my  visits  to  the  old 
house,  when  my  father  and  I  are  going  out  for  a  walk, 
we  often  go  to  the  cane  closet  and  pick  out  our  sticks. 
In  this  I  have  frequently  been  reminded  of  the  saying 
that  the  Word  of  God  is  a  staff.  How  often  have  I 
selected  from  the  armory  of  the  interpreter  a  text 
suited  to  the  present  exigency !  " 

"  During  the  war,  when  the  season  of  impending  dis- 
aster was  upon  us,  the  verse,  *  He  shall  not  be  afraid  of 
evil  tidings;  his  heart  is  fixed,  trusting  in  the  Lord,' 
was  a  staff  to  walk  with  many  dark  days.  When  death 
took  away  our  child  and  left  us  almost  broken-hearted, 
I  found  another  staff  in  the  promise  that '  weeping  may 
endure  for  a  night,  but  joy  cometh  in  the  morning.' 
When,  in  impaired  health,  I  was  exiled  for  a  year,  I 
took  with  me  this  staff,  which  never  failed :  '  He  know- 
eth  the  thoughts  that  he  thinketh  toward  thee,  thoughts 
of  peace  and  not  of  evil.'  In  times  when  human  judg- 
ment has  seemed  to  be  set  at  naught,  I  have  found  it 
easy  to  go  forward  with  this  staff :  *  In  quietness  and 
in  confidence  shall  be  your  strength.' 

'*  I  wish  that  our  young  men,  instead  of  stumbling 
purposely,  as  so  many  do,  over  what  seems  to  them 
repugnant  or  repulsive  in  the  Scripture,  would  choose 
daily  from  the  armory  a  staff  suited  to  the  walk  of 

291 


THE  BOOK  OF  FAITH  IN  GOD 

the  day,  and  they  would  soon  come  to  possess  many 
favorite  because  helpful  passages  in  constant  remem- 
brance." 

The  Twenty-third  Psalm  is  a  personal  possession  for 
every  Christian.  Again  and  again  it  has  been  pointed 
out  that  if  the  first  verse  began,  **  The  Lord  is  a 
shepherd,"  it  is  not  likely  that  men  and  women  and 
children  for  three  thousand  years  would  have  counted 
it  one  of  their  priceless  possessions.  But  the  phrase  is, 
''  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd."  He  gives  individual  at- 
tention and  care  to  his  sheep;  he  calls  them  each  by 
name.  God  knows  and  cares  for  us  each  one  just  as 
well  as  if  that  one  were  the  only  being  in  the  universe. 
''  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd." 


292 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS  CITED  OR  ILLUSTRATED 


GENESIS. 

TEXT  PAGE 

4:7 183 

49:  18 33 

49:24 176 

EXODUS. 

3:14 15 

20:8 169 

NUMBERS. 

33:  19 278 

DEUTERONOMY. 

33:  27 "2,  124,  283 

1  SAMUEL. 

8:  19 183 

2  SAMUEL. 


12:  7 
12:  23 


183 
265 


1  KINGS. 


17:  7-9 279 

17:  15,   16 279 

20:  II 196 


2  KINGS. 


4:26 


266 


EZRA. 

1:1 184,  186 

7:9 175 

NEHEMIAH. 

i:  »o 175 

ESTHER. 

4:  10,    11;    5:  2 17 

JOB. 

1 :  10 181 

1 :  21 198,  276 

13:  IS 25,  275 

23:  10 38 

PSALMS. 

1:6 282 

3:  5 112 

4:8 112,  158 

18:  35 210 


TEXT  PAGE 

2Z 270,    288 

-23:   I,   2  ....  37,    92,    229 

^3:  6 20 

30:  5 291 

31:  5 178 

33:20 31 

34:7 61 

34:  10 133 

37:  3 128,  204,  206 

37:5 48 

ZT-7 46 

37:  16 172 

37:24 176 

40:  5 238 

42:5 22 

46:  I 15,  258 

55:  22 277 

63:8 176 

73:  15 90 

73:23 158 

91  :  I 197.   199 

91:  12 189,   193 

91 :  15,    16 181 

103:  I 214 

103:  14 182 

106:  I 139 

"2:  7 277,  291 

119:  50 181 

136:  12 178 

138:  7 199 

143:8 45 

145:  16 176 


PROVERBS. 


3:  I  • 
19:  17 


148 
80 


ISAIAH. 


26:  4 
30:  21 
40:  II 
40:  12 
41 :  10 
43:  2 
44:  28 
46:  I 
46:  4 
55:  II 
59:  I 
61:  2 


.  26 

•  37 

•  179 
.  67 

76,  280 

.  89 

.  186 

.  258 

•  17 
.  222 
.  178 
.  81 


JEREMIAH. 


32: 


291 
236 


293 


INDEX 


DANIEL. 

TEXT  PAGE 

3:  17,    i8 278 

MALACHI. 
3:6 18 

MATTHEW. 

4:  4 154 

5:  II,     12     .       .       .      .    222,   235,  243 

6:  19 23s 

6:32 152 

6:  33 204,  239 

T-T  .      .      . 168 

7:16 246 

8:  10 29 

10:  37,  38 231 

11:  28,   29 168 

12:  20 28 

13:8 222 

1A-  27 239 

14:  30 237 

14:  31 29 

25:  40  146 

26:  39 275 

28:  20 89,  233 

MARK. 

1 :  40,    41 176 

5:  39 267 

9:  19,    24 29 

LUKE. 

7:5 29 

7:  II 26s 

22:31 183 

22:  35 117 

JOHN. 

1:47 182 

4:23 15 

4:  29 169 

5:2-7 17 

6:  20 91 

6:27 233 

11:35 23 

13:  23 181 

14 153 

14:  15 145 

14:  18 89 

15 152 

'7 123 

21:  17 267 

ACTS. 

2:  4 161 

4:13 248 

4:  18-20 269 

7:  54,    55 269 

8:4         40,   141,  264 

8:  26-40 40 

10:  1-23 40 

ROMANS. 

8:1 138 

8:  13 270 


TEXT  PAGE 

8:28 25,   198 

8:38 24 

1  CORINTHIANS. 

1 :  27 248 

Z'-23 Z2 

10:  12 196 

13      .      . 153 

15 26s 

15:  16,  22 269 

15:  55 269 

2  CORINTHIANS. 

Z-2 246 

4:   17 26,    181,    256 

4:   18 198 

GALATIANS. 
5:22 234 

PHILIPPIANS. 
4:4 234 

COLOSSIANS. 
3:  15 172 

I  THESSALONIANS. 
5:  17 179 

1  TIMOTHY. 

2:1 167 

2  TIMOTHY. 

2=13 75 

TITUS. 
2:  10 261 

PHILEMON. 
152 

HEBREWS. 

4:  15 182 

II 30,  226 

11:  I 141 

11:8 114,  235 

JAMES. 
2:  24 236 

I  PETER. 
2:5 '.      .    169 

I  JOHN. 

4:8 15 

4:  18 138 

REVELATION. 
:?:  13 240 

94 


BOOKS    FROM    WHICH    ILLUSTRATIONS 
ARE    CITED 

ANN  OF  AVA 

By  Ethel  Daniels  Hubbard 
FAITH  AND  FACTS 

By  Marshall  Broomhall 
FROM  MY  YOUTH  UP 

By  Margaret  E.  Sangster 
LACKED  YE  ANYTHING? 

By  George  Swan 
LIFE  OF  ADONIRAM  JUDSON 
LONG  LABRADOR  TRAIL,  THE 

By  Dillon  Wallace 
MARY  REED 

By  John  Jackson 
MUSTARD  SEED  IN  JAPAN,  A 

By  William  M.  Vories 
OLD  TESTAMENT  IN  LIFE  AND  LITERATURE 

By  Jane  T.  Stoddart 
PSALMS  IN  HUMAN  LIFE,  THE 

By  Rowland  E.  Prothero 
RETROSPECT,  A 

By  J.  Hudson  Taylor 
SOCIAL  CHRISTIANITY  IN  THE  ORIENT 

By  John  E.  Clough 
STRUGGLE  FOR  A  SOUL,  A 

By  Hinckley  and  Chrisleib 
LURE  OF  THE  LABRADOR  WILD 

By  Dillon  Wallace 
UGANDA  BY  PEN  AND  CAMERA 

By  C.  W.  Hattersly 
WITH  THE  TIBETANS  IN  TENT  AND  TEMPLE 

By  Susie  C.  R.  Rijnhart 


295 


Princeton  Theoloqical  Seminary  Lib^^^^ 


1    1012  01186   4636 


